Students make a difference while learning and enhancing entrepreneurial skills

Students in our Business School in the BML degree programme are learning to promote a better understanding of Small, Medium and Micro businesses (SMME), as well as entrepreneurial and management development in the Small Business Management module of this programme.

In the service learning component of this programme, our graduate students are working in multicultural and diverse groups to analyse and evaluate a local small business. They prepare questionnaires based on the needs of these businesses and do a presentation, including a written report, at the end of the module.

Through this, our students gain first-hand experience from small business owners. The scope of learning of our students is also enhanced through exposure to developmental issues facing communities. It heightens their awareness of their role in society. Furthermore, they learn valuable skills regarding communication, problem-solving, cooperative research, self-responsibility, scientific, technological and environmental literacy and skills, as well as developing a macro-vision.

However, not only our students benefit from this programme. The community participating in this project receives valuable inputs from our students with regard to their small businesses, including an assessment of their business, advice on the running of their business, as well as support and encouragement from our students.

Enhancing Entrepreneurial Skills

The interaction between Bachelor for Management Leadership (BML) students and a community of small entrepreneurs took place over several weeks through the facilitation of the Mangaung University Partnership Programme (MUCPP) and is within this adult learner degree offered by the Business School at the Faculty of Economic Management Sciences, University of the Free State, that the Service Learning component justifiably shows its prominence.

After exploring a number of research questions in consultation with imminent business owners, reports were compiled and presented by five teams of BML students. The presentation allowed further engagement from participants who formed part of the research project and audience of the day, to derive more clarity in some of the matters that developed from these reports. The research topics evolved around core business principles such as marketing, financing, business organisation, human resources and branding.

All the participating business representatives were awarded with certificates as tokens of appreciation for their active contribution. The entrepreneurial businesses were Alameen (vegetable production), Boikemisetso (sewing and knitting) and Botsitso (sewing and knitting).

The summing up comments clearly expressed the impact that Service Learning has on a two-way process of learning and teaching between communities and the university.

Entrepreneurs listening to student presentations at MUCPP

Student presentations

Entrepreneurs receive their certificates
Left: Mr Benedict Mokoena, acting director at MUCPP; Right: Mr Martin Oliver, Lecturer