| With the majority of net new job growth coming from small businesses and the fact that small businesses are an important economic driving force in America, a great opportunity exists for higher education to offer educational curricula targeted to small ventures. This is especially true for community colleges since these institutions of higher education are close to their local communities. However, a literature review indicates that community colleges are not pursuing this opportunity.;There is an opportunity for community colleges to provide entrepreneurship credit and noncredit course offerings to prepare these entrepreneurs for success. Yet research findings of this study indicate that entrepreneurship training and education is not a priority at all Virginia community colleges. Yet this same research indicates that there is strong demand for such offerings from students enrolled in Virginia's community colleges and from Virginia's small businesses.;The findings suggest that a gap exists between what Virginia's community colleges offer and student interest in entrepreneurship credit coursework. Additionally, there is growing demand from Virginia small businesses for entrepreneurship and small-business management noncredit courses, technology transfer needs, and start-up counseling services. Many Virginia small businesses are unaware of consulting services and noncredit programs offered by the community colleges. However, it has been determined that many of Virginia's community colleges are adopting an entrepreneurial college approach to workforce, economic, and community development.;Additionally, the Appendix contains a rich array of documentation that can be used in enhancing existing programs or crafting new ones in entrepreneurship education. In the Appendix are checklists, survey instruments, sample credit course syllabi, and student business plan competition guidelines.;With few exceptions, community colleges have made offering entrepreneurship courses a low priority. In fact, the contribution of these colleges to entrepreneurship education is disproportionately low as compared to four-year colleges and universities. Two-year colleges continue to prepare students for traditional employment and neglect entrepreneurship as another career path. There appears to be no sustained effort across the country, and Virginia in particular, to capitalize on this education and training need primarily in the area of credit course offerings. |
