Education provider

We promote entrepreneurial thinking and acting at scETA with various activities, initiatives, and projects. We develop appropriate concepts and programs ourselves or in cooperation, operate platforms, organize networks or events, and offer services.

myidea

The myidea learning program teaches entrepreneurial skills at vocational schools. Trained teachers integrate this content into general education classes (ABU) and vocational education classes (BKU). The program helps to ensure that as many people as possible in vocational education and training deal with issues of entrepreneurial thinking and acting.

Aspects and contents of myidea

An own business idea
Knowledge and competences for the further development of the idea
Case studies that sharpen the understanding of what can go wrong
Meetings with founders
Consideration of social and ecological aspects

Pilot project in three language regions

In 2018, we launched the pilot project “ETA at vocational schools in Switzerland – economic, social and ethical dimensions”. In doing so, we laid the foundation for the systematic anchoring of entrepreneurial thinking and acting in basic vocational education.

To this end, teachers were trained in four pilot cantons to implement the myidea learning program with their learners. By July 2022, the pilot project was completed in the cantons of Valais, Ticino, Bern, and Solothurn with financial support from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

Anchoring in the curriculum of vocational apprenticeships

Entrepreneurship competences have hardly been taught at vocational schools in Switzerland to date. While there are some individual initiatives, there has not been a systematic anchoring. The Swiss Conference of VET Offices (SBBK) also supports the anchoring of entrepreneurial thinking and acting. It welcomes a common awareness for the strengthening of entrepreneurial competences at vocational schools with an official recommendation.
The framework conditions for entrepreneurs are generally very good in Switzerland. University students benefit from lectures on all aspects of starting a business and encounter a wide range of consulting and coaching services. Competitions and events on business models help students network with each other and with experts and provide them with targeted support. There are hardly any comparable opportunities at vocational schools
To ensure that entrepreneurial thinking and acting can be successfully implemented in the classroom across Switzerland, one of our priorities is to anchor the topic in the cantonal curricula. At the same time, we are striving to actively include the topic in the review of the framework curriculum for general education.

Further training for teachers

With “myidea”, teachers receive a structured learning program to teach entrepreneurship competently and across learning sites in their lessons. We are building a nationwide network of individuals who all have a comparable basis of understanding. Evaluations of teacher training take place for the continuous development based on empirical data.

Get started with the basic training for vocational teachers! Develop a business idea in four days, just as vocational trainers will later do, and also receive valuable economic and pedagogical information.

Interested in the ETA- training for teachers? Click here for more information.

next trainings (in german)
Course 1/24 | 21/ 22/ 23/ 24 May, 2024 (in German, in Uster)
Course 2/24 | 30 September + 1/ 2/ 3 October, 2024 (in German, in Olten)

Registration for the basic training

Training for multipliers

Have you completed the basic training and implemented myidea with learners? We have developed the multiplier training courses precisely for you. Following this training, you can conduct basic trainings in co-teaching.

Certification of ETA schools

How do I position my school?

We have developed standards that define quality development and assurance for an “ETA vocational school.” In a three-stage certification process, you can have various ETA activities certified and thus consolidate and communicate your focus. A sustainable integration of entrepreneurial thinking and acting is only possible if it is part of the school development process.

Current myidea projects

“Promoting Critical Thinking and Recognizing Fake News”

SRG SSR, in collaboration with the Swiss Conference of Directors of Vocational Schools SDK-CSD, is committed to strengthening critical thinking and the ability to recognize Fake News among learners. We are currently developing concrete tasks to strengthen critical thinking in vocational learners. These will be integrated into the existing learning program myidea. By critical thinking, we mean, among other things, checking sources, reflecting on one’s own assumptions, and analyzing complex issues. We see critical thinking as a key competence for responsible thinking and acting and as a prerequisite for recognizing fake news.

«myidea professional»

“myidea professional” complements the existing learning program myidea for use in vocational training (Berufskundeunterricht) and in teaching digital skills.

What is meant by this? The project, funded by the Gebert Rüf Foundation, is intended to increase the appeal and reach of the “myidea” learning program. As part of the project, 200 vocational teachers will be trained with the optimized learning program.

Research

The research around myidea pursued the overarching goal of creating a better understanding of how to effectively teach entrepreneurship to vocational students. In doing so, particular attention was paid to several key topics:

Competencies around entrepreneurship
Personal attitudes towards entrepreneurship
Knowledge and facts about starting a business
Possible reasons for entrepreneurial failure (“Sense of Failure”)
Self-efficacy and initiative

The learning program myidea was developed by Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h.c. Fritz Oser, Prof. Dr. Susan Müller and Prof. Dr. Thierry Volery. The research projects were supported by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

Further development of teaching/learning materials

The myidea program is continuously evaluated to better understand its impact on learners. We use the findings from this evaluation process to optimize the content and pedagogical approaches on an ongoing basis. In parallel, we are pursuing other important questions as part of our application-oriented basic research.