Keys for Future Finland:

Well-being and Entrepreneurial Spirit

Minna Riikka Järvinen, PhD, MA, EMBA, Exec.D.

Development Centre Opinkirjo

Minnariikka.jarvinen@opinkirjo.fi

Elena Ruskovaara, M.Sc.

Lappeenranta University of Technology

The University of Warwick

Elena.ruskovaara@lut.fi

www.lut.fi/entre

Finland and Entrepreneurship

Education− Finland is the first European Union country to embed entrepreneurship

education in curricula at all education levels, from basic education to tertiary

education. (European Commission, 2002)

− In Finland, entrepreneurship education has been a harmonising, cross-

curricular theme in national basic education curricula since 1994

− Entrepreneurship education should be present in the everyday education

delivered in Finnish basic and general upper secondary schools. (Finnish

National Board of Education, 2003; 2004)

− All vocational degrees contain a minimum of 5 study weeks of

entrepreneurship education (Opetushallitus, 2009)

− See also Guidelines for entrepreneurship education & national targets

(Ministry of Education, 2009)

Finland and Entrepreneurship

Education− Entrepreneurship in the Finnish national core curricula:

− Entrepreneurship (entrepreneurial, enterprise, enterprising) education

should be both content and method of learning / teaching

− Themes and aims of curricula: intrapreneurship, active citizenship,

enterprising attitude and school culture, entrepreneurship as a career

choice, cooperation between school and world of work (Finnish National

Board of Education, 2003; 2004)

− New core curricula for basic education is coming 2016…

Future Finland: Land of Well-

being, Creativity and

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Draft: The Core Curriulum for Basic Education 2016 Finland; grades 1-9

Suggests teaching & working methods

Addresses collaborative and holistical themes across

subjects

Defines Competences for Future

”6 Cs pf entrepreneurial spirit”Fullan (2013): Great to excellent

Cultural

competence,

participation,

leading by

influence and

building a

sustainable future

Multi-literacy,

C in IT-

technology

Creativity in pursuing

novel ideas and

solutions

Life-skills, learning-to-learn,

responsibility, self-confidence

Work-life skills,

contribute to

others’ learning,

entrepreneurship

Critical thinking & problem solving

Future challenges and

possibilities

• Teachers’ changing role

• Embedding new curricula

• Range of “added” future skills

• Expanding learning environment, shared expertise

• New curricula = enterprising curricula

• …