This document discusses informal training, learning organizations, and entrepreneurship education. It contains the following key points: - Informal training, such as from coworkers, suppliers, and clients, is underrecognized but can help SMEs overcome barriers to formal training. SMEs report better outcomes from informal training. - Learning organizations that give employees discretion and promote knowledge sharing see more innovation. The percentage of learning organizations varies widely between countries. - Entrepreneurship education works best with action-based teaching like prototype development, company visits, and idea generation rather than just business plans. Improving entrepreneurship teaching requires support like teacher training and resources.

2. Jonathan Potter
OECD
Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local
Development

3. Informal training
• The role of informal training is
under-recognised (SME
participation about half the rate
of formal training)
• It responds to barriers with formal
training (finding providers,
aligning training with business
needs etc.)
• SMEs report better outcomes
from informal training
• Policy should recognise informal
skills development through
qualifications
OECD Report – Skills Development and Training in SMEs
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Co-workers Suppliers Clients
PercentofSMEs
Frequency of use of informal training
sources by SMEs
For high skilled workers For low skilled workers
Source: OECD Training in SMEs Survey 2011-12 in Belgium, Canada, UK, Nez Zealand,
Poland and Turkey, see OECD( 2013) Skills Development and Training in SMEs

4. The learning organisation
• Learning organisations give
employees discretion (planning tasks,
monitoring quality, performance pay
etc.)
• The share of learning organisation
SMEs varies by country – from around
20% (Hungary, Slovakia) to 70%
(Finland, Sweden)
• Learning organisation SMEs deliver
more innovation; they better exploit
employees skills and knowledge
exchange for innovation
• Policies can promote organisational
change through competitive grants to
OECD Report – Skills and Learning Strategies for Innovation in
SMEs
Source: OECD (forthcoming) Skills and Learning Strategies for Innovation in SMEs
BE
BG
CZ
DK
DE
EE
IE
GRES
FR
HR
IT
CY
LV
LT
LU
HU
MT
NL
AT
PL
PT
RO
SI
SK
FI
SE
UK
TR
203040506070
%Learningorganisations
0 20 40 60
% Product and/or process innovators
R-squared = .27
% Leaning organisations by % Product and/or Process Innovators

5. The entrepreneurial
school/university
• Action-based teaching methods are
best suited for entrepreneurship
• Business plan writing is common,
but students value more prototype
development, visits to companies,
and business idea generation
• Improving entrepreneurship
teaching in schools and HEIs
requires teacher training, teaching
resources, and top-level support
• OECD/EC provide on-line guidance
for schools (Entrepreneurship 360)
OECD/EC web tools – HEInnovate and Entrepreneurship360
Source: OECD HEInnovate HEI leader surveys, 2012-14 in Germany, Bulgaria and
Poland (number of HEIs = 20 Bulgaria, 23 Poland, 41 Germany).
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Prototype development
Use of social media
Self-learning exercises using multimedia
Experience reports by start-ups
Visits to companies
Business Model Canvas exercises
Case studies
Business idea generation activities
Business games and simulations
Problem-based learning
Entrepreneurs as guest speakers in classes
Business plan writing
Share of HEIs using the following entrepreneurship
teaching methods