Abstract:

Background:
The purpose of this work is to provide benefits and costs associated with running an own business. Identification of the problem in question from the perspective of young women, gathering first and subsequent professional experiences. Attention drawn to: 1. self-employment treated as a manifestation of individual entrepreneurship aimed towards a profitable business, and also to 2. competencies important for the activity of young entrepreneurs – readiness for the exchange of knowledge and the ability of creating support networks, plus the possibilities of developing these competencies.

The poster focus:
This poster is also an attempt to confront different views presented in the subject literature (domestic and foreign) on the benefits and costs of self-employment with the results of own research, including the opinions of the participants of the “Entrepreneurship for teachers” workshops carried out in the framework of the “Modern Pedagogue” project (No. POWR.03.01.00-00-K423/16). The main aim of the project is to improve labour-market-required competencies, among others, in the field of entrepreneurship, among students of pedagogy and special education – of the last two semesters of the first and second degree studies. In the pilot study a qualitative method (individual case studies – in pedagogical sight) has been used. 17 students - project participants and 8 labour market experts (graduates of pedagogical studies and having experience in running own business) have been surveyed. The results of the study have been acquired through the technique of an interview – prepared for the sole purpose of the study. The poster will focus on the different, often non-standard, opinions of surveyed students regarding of self-employment and also on the various determinants of these voices and specific activities of surveyed students. For example, to interesting benefits associated with running your own business, the respondents included: the opportunity to cooperate with interesting people, similarly involved in work and with similar interests; social recognition and inspiration of the environment; the opportunity to use your own ideas, also related to the organization of work. The questions also concerned educational and professional experiences (previous and planned) of project participants, important for the development of individual entrepreneurship. Complement for the presented case studies (also used during the workshop as teaching method) will be the statements of the labour market experts about the activities supporting the entrepreneurship of the young people - modern pedagogues. The experts paid attention to on the importance of mentor support during studies (among others building a network of professional contacts) and the important role of projects in teaching, with emphasis on evaluation of teamwork and assessment of student's potential compared to the group: "I need to estimate my own abilities compared to the competition when I run the company". The obtained and presented results will be the starting point for further reflection on how the pedagogues should build social capital necessary for the development of individual entrepreneurship. It is also about the characteristics of individual entrepreneurship of women and the specificity of the test group, including the important role of pedagogues in shaping entrepreneurial mindset among other people.

Keywords:

Self-employment, benefits and costs of an own business, pedagogues as entrepreneurs.