Introduction Entrepreneurship education is gaining attraction around the world. Precisely because entrepreneurship education helps to address issues such as graduate unemployment and contribution to the economy (Zahra et al., 2012). Ratten & Usmanij (2021, p. 2) define entrepreneurship education as “interactive learning linked to business and community initiatives. This means there is a sense of industry connection in entrepreneurship education due to its experience-based learning approach”. The Department of Business Management in the School of Management at the College of Business and Economics offers a course called “Diploma in Small Business Management”, which follows the same teaching methodology in entrepreneurship education. Some career options for graduates from the course are entrepreneur, intrapreneur and business advisor. This is why the module Entrepreneurial Growth Strategies A & B, offered in the second year of study, introduced business advisory training and services as part of teaching and learning. The intention is to expose students to entrepreneurship, business advisory and corporate entrepreneurship through the UJ Business Clinic. Moreover, this prepares students to be “future fit” business leaders, stimulates student entrepreneurship, and creates citizens of value who solve problems in their communities. Mohale (2023) asserts that community engagement, teaching and learning, and research are the pillars of an institution of higher learning. This is the reason for the existence of the UJ Business Clinic. It aims to address the challenges faced by small, medium, and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) located near the University and use the knowledge gathered from the project for teaching, learning, and research purposes. Students serve as business advisors under the guidance of lecturers, municipality, and industry partners. At the beginning of the semester, the lecturers and the students schedule a meeting with the beneficiaries (SMME owners/entrepreneurs). The purpose of this meeting is to conduct a thorough needs analysis to understand the challenges faced by SMMEs, as this helps student business advisors know where and how to start the project. The Boardroom and assessments Regular teaching and learning occur in the classroom, where the module content is linked with the practical assignment. The classroom is also treated as a boardroom. Every week, student business advisors have to present a 5-minute report on their progress regarding their assignments. This allows the lecturer and classmates to comment on the assignment and helps students to improve their work and learn best practices from their peers. Marks are allocated to provide weekly reports and constructive feedback to classmates, which in turn encourages participation in the classroom (the Boardroom). Assessments in the module are structured as follows: case studies are written using the stories of the clients’ businesses and are used in summative assessments. This makes it easier for students since they have co-created the case studies in one way or another. The second-semester examination is in the form of a written report based on growth strategies they propose for the clients (the SMME they are allocated to). Lastly, there is an assignment where they are assigned an SMME to whom they need to render their advisory services. Collaboration In the modules, collaboration with industry partners and fellow academics from the host department (Department of Business Management) and other departments is critical. Partners assist with training, mentorship, and resource sharing, making the projects successful. At the beginning of the project, partners are invited, and their contribution to the broader project is encouraged. Their strengths are utilised in the project. For instance, some industry partners train students on specific project sections, such as basic consulting and digital marketing. Furthermore, industry partners facilitate workshops for SMMEs on areas we are not experts on, such as risk management and financial education. Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century | Showcasing UJ Teaching Innovation Projects 2024 118
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