CALGARY, AB – A new generation of entrepreneurs who acquire both skills and drive through non-traditional education methods could play a major role in solving Canada’s innovation crisis, says a report from the Canada West Foundation.

The report, entitled Start ’em up: Incubating nextgen innovators, recommends exposing high school students to experiences that will help them think like entrepreneurs and making a priority post-secondary programs that give students the skills they need to innovate.

“There are some really exciting learning experiences for budding entrepreneurs,” said Janet Lane, Director of the Centre for Human Capital Policy and co-author of the report. “But these programs need to be available to more students at all levels if we hope to sharpen our competitive edge.”

The paper notes that multiple studies have found Canada has fallen behind its peers in commercializing new processes, products and services, and states that part of the problem is that firms have trouble finding people who have the ability to innovate. It advocates for developing more effective ways for our youth to develop both the mindset and skills to be entrepreneurs and innovators.

It also looks at two successful longstanding third-party programs, SHAD and Junior Achievement. The programs take two different approaches to bring high-school age students together to learn new skills while they work to solve real-world problems.

Not all students need to take a mandatory course in entrepreneurship, the report says. But programs need to be available for students who want it. It proposes “non-traditional” classroom approaches, including: engagement with entrepreneurs, cross-disciplinary learning, experiential learning and co-op and internship work experiences.