Enhancement of Entrepreneurship in Colombian Universities: Competence Approach Plus Personalized Advice (CAPPA) Model

Abstract

In the countries of Latin America, the university is becoming the standard of development and economic progress, but these two dimensions cannot be understood without the promotion and support of innovation and entrepreneurship. Specifically, in Colombian university centres great efforts are being performed to encourage and train entrepreneurial skills among the student community, being this task approached from different perspectives and also with different results. This study presents a new approach to the transmission of knowledge and contents of the curriculum based on a new skills and competences development model, which primarily give the student concepts rather than contents, and serve him well to enhance creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship skills. The new methodology should be further supported and enhanced by the establishment of a communication and support channel given by entrepreneurship and innovation centres established at the same university, which give support and advice to students throughout the entire process of creating their own companies. The ultimate goal of this model is to generate a set of tools and methodologies within the university where the students are formed not only as professionals but also as entrepreneurs, in order to complete their academic studies with their own business already established and with the skills and necessary competences for their growth and sustainability. As part of this work, a pilot project is being conducted at Sergio Arboleda University in Bogota, Colombia, initially applied on the Marketing and International Business program, and it is expected to obtain measurable results in the following academic semesters, using internal and external evaluation criteria.