Conventional education is not geared to meet the needs of potential and prospective entrepreneurs. Formal qualifications like an MBA have limited admissions and may not serve the needs of a small entrepreneur. Training and educational facilities available to those interested in starting and managing a business or enterprise are very limited in the country. Conventional entrepreneurship development programmes, based on the classroom concept, are still in vogue. One of the examples are the short-term EDPs conducted by Small Industries Service Institute. However, such programmes suffer from the in-built limitation of lack of mass contact over a wider area of entrepreneurs.
As an answer to this need, the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) has undertaken the task of creating and developing new entrepreneurs on a large scale. EDII was set up in 1983 as an autonomous institute jointly sponsored by the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI), Industrial Credit and Investment Corporationof India (ICICI), Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) and the SBI.
The institute has conceptualised and initiated an innovative entrepreneurship development programme (EDP), called the `Open Learning Programme in Entrepreneurship' (OLPE), which will be imparted through correspondence and personal counselling. The course aims at new enterprise creation and management, where the learners are imparted necessary knowledge and techniques in business opportunity identification, market assessment, technical and financial feasibilities to prepare a project report of the planned enterprise.
OLPE is sponsored by the German institute Friedrich Naumann Stiftung and supported by the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board, Department of Science and Technology. The Director General, Resettlement, Ministry of Defence, has also evinced an interest in using OLPE for members of the armed forces.
The course also concentrates on imparting management inputs and statutory regulationsrelated to the successful running of an entrepreneurial venture.
The salient features of OLPE include:
More accessibility than conventional EDP;
Learning at the place, pace and time of the learner's choice;
Flexibility in terms of enrollment as it is a roll-on, roll-off programme starting every quarter;
Counselling service throughout the training period;
Home delivery of the text material comprising 10 units with two contact sessions of three to five days each.There is focus on entrepreneurial motivation, business opportunity guidance, business plan preparation and real life interactions during the contact sessions. There is follow-up support of up to two months after successful completion of the training. Counselling and contact sessions are conducted by experts in diverse disciplines.
The duration of OLPE is 11 months, split into two phases: nine months of actual study and two months of follow-up support to help the learners in setting up an enterprise. The mediumof instruction: English, Hindi and Gujarati. The programme begins every quarter starting from January. The learners have the opportunity to enroll during January, April, July or October.
The eligibility criteria are kept simple to attract potential entrepreneurs. Degree/ diploma holders in any discipline and those possessing the minimum educational qualification of having passed higher secondary with three years experience are eligible to join the course. Women candidates are, however, exempted from work experience.
The certificate is awarded after an assessment of the project report submitted by the learner and his/her performance in the term and examination conducted by forwarding question papers to the learners, who in turn are required to submit answer sheets within one month. Those who fail to qualify may reappear in the examination within two years.
OLPE equips the learners with the ability to function dynamically, plan and launch their own dream ventures. It helps them not only to generateself-employment, but also leads to the creation of new avenues of employment for others and culminates in the augmentation of the national economy and enrichment of the industrial legacy.
More details on OLPE can be had from: Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Near Village Bhat, via Ahmedabad Airport and Indira Bridge, PO Bhat-382 428 (Gujarat).
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Printer-friendly page
