Hello everyone, my name is Evan Carmichael and I’m looking forward to kick-starting the new YE blog. With regular updates that highlight issues facing young entrepreneurs we’re looking to make this blog an engaging, interactive resource for YE visitors and members.
The first post I wanted to put up was about colleges and universities “teaching” entrepreneurship. According to BusinessWeek, the number of entrepreneurs younger than 30 has increased by nearly 30 percent every year since 2004.
Many of the “experts” attribute the growth to the increase in programs that colleges and universities are putting together to teach students how to run their own businesses. In the 1980s there were only 270 courses available while there are over 5,000 available today. Purdue University, for example, offers a certificate of entrepreneurship and innovation. Since Purdue created the program in 2005 they have graduated over 600 students and there is currently a wait list to get in.
Others feel that the power of the Internet has opened up new opportunities for young entrepreneurs that did not exist before. We’re now able to do our market research, connect with potential clients, and sell our products or services to an international market at a fraction of the cost and from the convenience of our homes.
What do you think? Can colleges and universities “teach” us how to be entrepreneurs?
Evan Carmichael
