The president of West Liberty University from 2007 to 2015, Robin Capehart currently works with the Public Policy Foundation of West Virginia. In his capacity as a senior resident fellow with the foundation, he has authored a number of articles that build on his background as a tax reform consultant, attorney, scholar, and administrator to make cogent suggestions on a variety of issues. In 2013, Robin Capehart authored a Public Policy Quarterly piece offering a proposed curriculum for education in entrepreneurship.
The topic is an important one, in that international authorities have noted the close relationship between the availability of high-quality entrepreneurial education and national productivity and innovation. Research finds strong correlations among the level of entrepreneurial education offered, the volume of new business venture creation, and the amount of entrepreneurial endeavor.
Yet the trajectory to entrepreneurial success is not always easy to discern, in that it is not necessarily immediate. Researchers suggest that the most constructive approach is to evaluate the interaction between entrepreneurial education and tangible results longitudinally.
In addition, a number of writers on the topic have noted that communities miss opportunities when they fail to introduce entrepreneurship education in primary and secondary schools. By teaching entrepreneurship--which includes critical thinking skills, teamwork, and communication--K-12 institutions will go a long way toward preparing high school students to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.
