To overcome barriers to participation in small business training faced by rural Australian women, training needs and delivery issues were identified and a good practice matrix was developed with the following components: marketing, content, delivery, support, impact, and innovation. Underlying principles included unique needs, diversity, use of…

The rising number of individuals returning to communities from prison and jail represents one of the defining issues of time. Individuals reentering society face myriad challenges, not the least of which is securing viable employment; in addition, each individual has a unique set of experiences, needs and resources. This project stems from the…

This report discusses the results of a case study of Working Order, a Pennsylvania program designed to develop entrepreneurs with and without disabilities by sharing the expertise, resources, and skills of small business owners. The strategy of the program is to invite competitive entrepreneurs, those who could likely produce and sell their…

This paper provides a framework for discussion of the potential for support of small and medium enterprise (SME) development by training and education, particularly in European Union partner countries. Section I is an introduction. Section II reviews the present position of small and medium enterprises in the partner countries and the role they…

The Self-Employment Investment Demonstration (SEID) is a test, designed to run from 1988 to 1992, of the feasibility of operating a program to encourage self-employment among welfare recipients. Challenges facing SEID included selecting sites, developing curricula, recruiting clients, getting clients through business training, completing business…

This report from the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, a federal agency that coordinates and promotes public and private efforts to enhance the employment of people with disabilities, discusses the current status of small business and self-employment opportunities for people with disabilities and offers…

This pamphlet examines the development and activities of WomenVenture's business development program in the context of facilitation of self-employment as a means to women's economic self-sufficiency. The following topics are discussed: women in the work force, women in poverty, self-employment and low-income women, formation of the Women's…

The Washington State Self-Employment and Enterprise Demonstration (SEED) was the first federally sponsored self-employment demonstration program for unemployed workers in the United States. Its primary purpose was to determine the viability of self-employment as a reemployment option for recipients of Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits who do…

The first and longest section of this publication is a comparative analysis summarizing the impacts of the two Unemployment Insurance (UI) Self-Employment Demonstration Projects in Washington State and Massachusetts. Based on the first wave of post-project follow-up surveys, this evaluation report provides results on the net impacts of each…

In 1983, an entrepreneurial engineering class was developed at the University of New Mexico. The course meets for 3 hours 1 evening per week for 15 or 16 sessions. Lectures, reading assignments, group work, interactive class discussions, and presentations by practitioners are used to help learners students develop the research and practice skills…

The American Evaluation Association's (AEA) Independent Consulting Topical Interest Group (IC TIG) has a membership of over eight hundred individuals who generally work as sole proprietors, in partnerships, or in small consulting firms. Well over a decade ago, the IC TIG conducted a survey of its membership (Bonnet, 1992). To gather current data…

This series of guides is designed for those involved in organizing and delivering training to existing or would-be small business owners. The overall aim is to focus attention on the basic competencies required by organizers and trainers for effective program development and delivery. A short introductory booklet sets out the overall objectives of…

The main parameters of state self-employment assistance (SEA) programs for unemployed workers were tested in two experimental demonstrations authorized by the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. The Washington State and Massachusetts Unemployment Insurance (UI) Self-Employment Demonstrations evaluated the ability of the…

Confederation College (CC) in Thunder Bay, Ontario, is recognized internationally for its expertise in entrepreneurship education. CC began its work in this area in 1983-84 with two pilot projects providing community outreach service. Since then, the college has established the following programs: the Northwest Enterprise Centre (NEC), which…

This manual is designed to help teachers, businesses, Chambers of Commerce, and students start their own economic development activities and youth ventures. It describes a two-step plan to economic development through youth: development of an in-school student chamber of commerce program and development of a youth-owned venture. The first part of…