Think back to the second grade…. Remember when Ms.{Enter 2nd grade teacher name here} had you stand up in front of the class and describe what you wanted to be “when you grow up.” First of all, at what age do you really grow up? Second of all, why is it that most, if not all students said that they wanted to be a lawyer, doctor, firefighter or politician? While all these are admirable career choices, I find it problematic that the students rarely aspire to be entrepreneurs. My case is as follows:
Lawyers defend people’s rights and help them with legal issues, which is great. Doctors keep people healthy, which is very important. And firefighters save people from fires while politicians supposedly represent their constituents in the larger government. However, entrepreneurs are the people who create all the amazing products and services that we can’t live without, all while creating most of the nation’s jobs. Entrepreneurs live in all of our communities and allow us to live with the luxuries that we love. I argue that entrepreneurs have the most important role in the economy and livelihood of our nation. For this reason, I argue that entrepreneurship should have a more visible presence in our education system. As an aside, it should be noted that I am of the belief that entrepreneurship can be taught.
After math, english and history, there should be entrepreneurship. If we get our young students understanding how value-creation and businesses work at a young age, their aspirations may shift from “successful” professions to “important” professions. The biggest deterrent preventing students from learning about entrepreneurship is the knowledge and confidence that they can create a business. When this idea is reinforced in someone’s mind throughout their academic journey, the chances are greatly improved that they may pursue this direction. It should be noted, that with the term entrepreneur, I am referring to any person who creates value through a for-profit or non-profit business or organization.
Some secondary and post-secondary institutions have already began teaching the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. I question why we can’t begin this earlier in the academic road. The fact that some students have predisposition for entrepreneurial activities is evident by the selling of small items like candy in elementary school. Furthermore, there always appears to be the one or two kids in the neighborhood that are asking for odd-jobs in exchange for a couple dollars. These individuals, as well as those who have yet to demonstrate business acumen, should be allowed to learn more about how to use their ambition, creativity, and hard work to create businesses.
With the growth of global giants like Google, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, we must remind our students that they have more of an option than climbing the corporate ladder. Just as these companies were started by entrepreneurs, future students have the ability to create their own corporate ladder for themselves and others. Innovation isn’t limited to big companies, and individuals who take calculated risks in the right markets can benefit from such innovation. Therefore, young students should understand that creating “the next” Google is not only possible, but it is encouraged.
Our nation was built by entrepreneurs and continues to flourish because of entrepreneurial organizations and individuals. For this reason, we must ensure that we help the entrepreneurial dream grow. Schools need to teach this concept so that students can carry the torch of innovation.
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