Entrepreneurial Skills

If young Canadians can succeed in the changing Canadian economy, then Canada succeeds.

Anna Smith Training Manager

Designed to give participants the support they need to land and excel in new entrepreneurial positions, VFC's training model equally prioritizes the strategies of content and methodology. When participants thrive in the entrepreneurial roles they find in Canada’s changing economy, then Canada succeeds.

We are currently facing an economy that is impossible to predict. New companies launch and fail daily; in-demand job titles and descriptions change rapidly; everything from how we work to why we work is in flux. As technology and automation increasingly shift the landscape of work, Canadian students face a historically challenging labour market.

Future of Work researchers emphasize the importance of trying, learning, reflecting, and creating in the face of these disruptions – these are the skills, and mindsets, of entrepreneurship.

We start with the foundations:

Taking the initiative
Coping with uncertainty, ambiguity and risk
Working with others

Move throughout the continuum to develop:

Self-awareness
Motivation and perseverance
Mobilizing others and resources

End by fostering the expertise in:

Creativity
Valuing ideas and spotting opportunities
Ethical and sustainable thinking

VFC’s training content is based on the widely-celebrated European Union Entrepreneurship Competence Framework. This research presents the skills of initiative and entrepreneurship as “a universal key competence” for personal and professional success. It provides us with our skill-development goal for each program participant: “the capacity to act upon opportunities and ideas to create value for others.” This research, complemented by our Partner Employers’ needs and unique participants’ needs, comes to life in monthly live training sessions, a library of self-directed learning, and broader community initiatives.

How we teach is as important as what we teach – perhaps more. The Venture for Canada training curriculum is delivered using a methodology that promotes participant choice, just-in-time (as opposed to just-in-case) learning. It emphasizes the importance of trust and reflection. In this, we intend to build communities of lifelong learners who can advocate for their learning needs and engage in growth and development practices throughout their careers.

“Our future talent needs to have adaptability, resilience, and the ability to innovate, synonymous with entrepreneurship.”

Dana Stephenson Founder & CEO

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