Recently Microsoft and the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship posted an article talking about the benefits of entrepreneurship education for students.

We might just be a fly over state in the United States but the Chamber is proud to say that here in our little college town we have programs that mirror the essential characteristics talked about in the article.

Teaching young people the skills

Microsoft and DFE(Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship) stress the importance of teaching students the skills that encourage them to “take initiative, explore opportunities, and be enterprising.” They refer to these skills as entrepreneurship skills(no surprise there) and are not only useful for these young people and children in starting their own companies, but also helps them develop fundamental values that drive them in whatever path they choose in the future.

Bloomington  version: As many of you know, the Chamber has a program called HYPE which focuses specifically on young professionals and teaching them how to network, communicate with others effectively, as well as providing them with general tips on how to manage finances in order to be successful.

Businesses involvement

According to Microsoft, the corporate world has an important role in educating the young entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The key to success is bridging practice and theory which can only be achieved with real live involvement. DFE and Microsoft offers guest speakers, jury members and even business idea competitions in their program overseas.

Bloomington version: Here at the Chamber we might not have a partner with a name as big as Microsoft to help with our youth. However, we have The Franklin Initiative program which provides simulation programs that show a link between academics and salaries, job fairs and job shadowing with local businesses in the area, as well as a Speakers Bureau which focuses on real-life glimpses into the world of work.

What can you do?

If you are a business involved with the Chamber we encourage you to find ways to become more involved with the young entrepreneurs that are walking the halls of our high schools and middle schools today. This window of opportunity can be the difference between the struggling economy of today and the thriving economy of tomorrow.

For more information about the topics talked about today:

The article: http://www.microsoft.com/eu/impact-on-society/article/why-should-business-get-involved-in-education.aspx

HYPE: http://www.chamberbloomington.org/hYPe/

The Franklin Initiative: http://www.chamberbloomington.org/franklin_initiative/