Educating entrepreneurs the smart way
Building a better-equipped and well-educated workforce can result in human capital with priority focus on sustainable living
by Suné Stassen – the participant of the SMART Start-up ICT Training organized by the CSCP in Cape Town, South Africa on April 12-15, 2011.
Prioritising innovation, sustainable entrepreneurship and lifestyles should be at the forefront of all education
Incorporating design/creative, innovative and sustainable thinking across all curricula – from primary to tertiary - will have a far-reaching impact on developing sustainable lifestyles and environments, that will set the stage for a growing economy, more entrepreneurs and the development of intellectual property.
Yes, it still is about developing a more productive society, and providing business with competitive, creative and innovative thinkers and problem solvers. It is about understanding the bigger picture but now with a greater focus on the building blocks for a specific and powerful mindset. One of creative, innovative and strategic thinking that can strongly capacitate society to address the problems they face on a daily basis such as social and environmental development, transport, health – the list goes on. Ultimately it is about teaching and learning how to do all of the above in the most sustainable and cost effective way!
Provided that we have well-trained facilitators, even young kids can develop to become problem solvers, entrepreneurs, innovators and strategic thinkers at the blink of an eye, while adding all of this into a sustainable lifestyle context. Surely these are qualities that any parent should want their child to have? In the world of business and sustainable living, for sure a package with X-factor qualities!
There are the talented few that currently gain from the traditional systems with the subject focus on mathematics, science and technology, but if we want to nurture a generation that will not only design top export quality products and environments but also add sustainability to the mix, it’s time to consider a working relationship between design/creativity, innovation, technology and science. After all, creative thinking drives the process across all of these industries in which people use skills like creative and innovative thinking towards problem solving. Recognizing the impact of such a relationship could seriously assist any individual or even a country to reach its full potential.
If the teaching of creativity and innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability is made a priority in all schools, and I mean on all levels, then we will begin to prioritise education and stand a chance to move beyond the education of a selected few. We will start to mobilise the masses! Now that is a super sustainable idea!
Having a smart start with SMART Start-up ICT
So with all this fascinating stuff, rushing through my veins I instantly decided to participate in the four-day SMART Start-up ICT training on Sustainable Entrepreneurship held in Cape Town in April of this year.
The training was organized by the UNEP/Wuppertal Institute Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP), sponsored by Deutsche Telekom and supported by South African National Cleaner Production Center. The Program is the fruit of the collaboration between the CSCP and Deutsche Telekom and it stemmed from the need of improving the quality of entrepreneurship and ensuring sustainable practices in the ICT industry by inspiring the larger society.
As participants of the training, facilitated by the CSCP experts: Michael Kuhndt, Fisseha Tessema and Jadwiga Zurad, we embarked on an entrepreneurial epic journey of self-exploration. This amazing journey triggered off powerful shifts and built many ‘bridges’ in favour of sustainable lifestyles, exploring different sets of tools, which all in all inspired and empowered us to become individual yet collaborative leaders that can now educate about Sustainable Lifestyles with confidence. Just to cite some of the reflections of the training’s participants : ‘The entire content and level of thought put into the SMART Start-up workshop has really empowered me to practically align our sustainability needs with our economic wellbeing. This is a tool I can definitely use to build a better future with’ – says Aldrich Burmeister. Another trainee, Dammon Rice claims: ‘the action based learning methodology used provided amazing real-time living experience and learning, putting the theory into practice!’ Dammon called the training the ‘sustainable learning in action!’
Indeed it was a unique journey and an exceptional experience! Often thrown into somewhat familiar grounds, we were continuously swept off our feet with grueling new challenges. Teaching us more sensory awareness, to identify hotspots in just about any situation and the tools to recognise the correct ingredients and stakeholders needed for a strong and secure marriage between an idea and that of a sustainable business model. For me this was the perfect marriage between creative thinking and the competitive world of business.
Supported by Deutsche Telekom and brought to Cape Town by the CSCP, we were truly privileged to be included in, what I believe could be the start of a new South African journey – one with greater sustainable possibilities for generations to come!
Further information
For more information please visit http://www.scp-centre.org/?id=172
or contact Fisseha Tessema (fisseha.tessema@scp-centre.org)
