Developing entrepreneurship in social work through international education. Reflections on a European intensive programme

Authors:
FARGION Silvia, GEVORGIANIENE Violeta, LIEVENS Pieter
Journal article citation:
Social Work Education (The International Journal), 30(8), 2011, pp.964-980.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA

This paper addresses the issue of introducing training on entrepreneurial skills in social work education. It explores how the concept of entrepreneurship can help to identify skills and competences that may be relevant for future practitioners in the present social service environment in Europe. The paper starts by critically introducing the concept of entrepreneurship and by presenting its connections to social work. It then presents an EU-funded Intensive Programmes scheme, New Ventures and Entrepreneurship in Social Work Teaching (INVEST), which took place at Vilnius University, Lithuania. The main goal of INVEST was to offer a critical view on entrepreneurship and to provide an experience aimed at fostering a positive attitude towards the challenges and difficulties that arise in social services, and to develop innovation-related competences. The paper explores the potential of using active experiential learning methods in an international environment and of creating a situation where participants are confronted with ‘real world’ problems so that they can develop entrepreneurial skills. It argues that experiences of this kind provide new stimuli and contribute substantially to developing an entrepreneurial mentality, by which is meant innovative and proactive attitudes as well as skills to develop the resources with which to face social problems in an adverse context.

Subject terms:
skills, social work education, teaching methods, attitudes, European Union;
Content type:
practice example
Location(s):
Lithuania
Link:
Journal home page
ISSN online:
1470-1227
ISSN print:
0261-5479

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