Universities tell undergraduates that their degrees generate jobs – the ones with strong entrepreneurship programmes are probably right

“Small young firms are the engine of net jobs growth in Australia,” Sasan Bakhtiari reports in a new paper for the Chief Economist.

It’s more dramatic than it sounds – in 2010–15, small firms from start to three years accounted for all net job growth.  While big and medium sized firms added a bunch of jobs, small mature firms downsized, “so the net effect in the absence of small young firms is negative.”

“Small young firms are not only covering the gap but also adding jobs on top of that,” Dr Bakhtiari states.

There’s more good news, “after 2014, entrepreneurship and job creation among small young Australian firms has constantly improved.”  – although it’s not that good, “the level of firm entry in 2016 is still below that of 2003.”

Which makes the case for the universities with entrepreneurship units embedded in degrees. A way for young people to find a job in business is to found one.

(Where the entrepreneur courses are:  CMM July 17 ).