The role and application of enterprise education in higher vocational study: An engineering case study

The purpose of this paper is to document the experience of introducing and delivering enterprise education into vocational disciplines at Heriot-Watt University, with a key objective being to provide a model that other institutions may find useful. It describes the various and important reasons for the inclusion of enterprise in these disciplines, not least of which are the requirements of professional vocational institutes, brought about by changes in the economic infrastructure nationally and globally. Essentially, to maintain competitiveness within existing and emerging vocational industries, enterprise is increasingly regarded as an essential element of the professional. This paper documents how enterprise education has been 'embedded' within core vocational degrees, and uses the case study of the various Engineering disciplines taught at Heriot-Watt University to illustrate how this has been achieved. This paper details the effective incorporation of enterprise via both horizontal and vertical integration with core vocational subject material. This integration is argued in the paper to best prepare the vocational graduate for the realities of a career in his/her future profession within the current economic circumstances. Copyright © 2006 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.