Start with capability, not company formation
Entrepreneurship education can support venture creation, but its wider value is helping learners recognise opportunities, work with uncertainty, collaborate and turn ideas into evidence. That makes it relevant across disciplines, not only to business students or people who already plan to start a company.
ICLI’s view is that self-leadership belongs at the beginning. Students are more able to contribute when they can explain their strengths, values, decision patterns and development needs.
What useful delivery looks like
A credible programme creates work that can be discussed and improved. The exact format may vary, but the learning should be active and connected to the institution around it.
- A defined audience, purpose and set of intended outcomes.
- Problem framing, collaboration, customer or stakeholder discovery and testing.
- Visible outputs such as a canvas, prototype, team charter, pitch or action plan.
- Feedback and reflection that help participants improve their judgement.
- A responsible route into existing university, employer or partner support.
What universities should expect from a partner
The provider should explain what it delivers, what the university owns, what depends on another partner and how activity will be evaluated. It should not imply guaranteed placements, investment or venture success.
Good programme design also addresses accessibility, safeguarding, data, facilitator standards and how the work complements existing careers and enterprise provision.
Judge the evidence carefully
Attendance is an output, not an outcome. Confidence scores can be useful, but they need a baseline, response count, question wording and context. Longer-term claims require proportionate follow-up and should distinguish introductions, applications, offers and starts.