November 2024
Like many colleges across the USA, the issue of textbook affordability is top of the agenda for faculty at Palm Beach State College (PBSC), Florida. “It’s an issue that negatively impacts students’ academic performance and time-to-graduation rates. Many states, including Florida, are actively exploring options, such as open-access textbooks and resources, to tackle it,” said Roger Blair, Professor III Entrepreneurship at PBSC.
Roger has been teaching the entrepreneurship module of the bachelor’s degree in Supervision and Management at PBSC for over 10 years. The college serves nearly 36,000 students ranging from high school graduates preparing to take their first steps in the world of work to seasoned professionals looking to advance their careers.
In 2018, Roger was tasked with redesigning PBSC’s upper-level entrepreneurship course. “I’d come across HP LIFE a few years previously at the NACCE (National Association of Community Colleges for Entrepreneurship) annual conference. It was exactly the kind of free, high quality content I was looking for to add substance to the new course.”
HP LIFE is a free skills training program from the HP Foundation. It is available online via the HP LIFE platform and mobile app, as well as off platform and in person. It is also used by educators, like Roger, to enrich curricula, support business creation, and improve employability skills.
The program offers learners more than 30 courses in eight languages (Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, English, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish). It covers core business topics ranging from how to start a small business, build a website, or find funding sources as well as helping learners improve their digital skills—critical to success in today’s digital economy.
The redesigned entrepreneurship course was an immediate hit when it was introduced to upper-level students in spring 2019. “The practical nature of the lessons and the real-life business scenarios engage the students while the tools provided in the lessons are invaluable for someone who wants to start their own business,” said Roger. “The certificates awarded after each lesson completion are useful in job interviews and motivate students to complete the courses.”
“The most effective in helping my learning were the online courses. These courses provided me with great materials for my future ventures.”
- Student, upper-level entrepreneurship course, Palm Beach State College
In a post-course survey, students’ feedback topped 4.76 out of 5 and comments indicated that HP LIFE courses provided an effective learning experience. “The course was also certified by Quality Matters, defying the conventional wisdom that open-source material is not good quality,” said Roger.
Following the success at the upper-level, HP LIFE was used to redevelop the entry-level entrepreneurship course which is included as a module across all disciplines in the college. “We’re currently looking at making this course available to anyone within Palm Beach County interested in the topic of entrepreneurship,” said Roger. “We’re also developing the initiative to be part of our business launchpad and incubator.”
More than 1,000 students have taken the HP LIFE upper-level course since its launch in 2018. The content is also being exposed to another 200 students taking the entry-level course each semester.
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“Incorporating HP LIFE into our upper-level entrepreneurship course has enabled us to offer our students access to a high-quality open-access learning resource, supporting our goal to find long-term solutions to textbook affordability.”
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“The knowledge I have gained from taking HP LIFE courses will allow me to make disciplined decisions and invest in my business.”
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“As someone without previous knowledge of running an enterprise, I found the HP LIFE courses engaging. The interactive content and videos made it fun to learn.”
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“We are glad for our global collaboration with HP. Our organizations share a common passion for enhancing students’ soft skills and empowering them. As JA Greece, we are proud that we are building on expanding this partnership to reach more students through HP LIFE courses.”
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“Teachers are pivotal to education and to the impact it has on students who are our hope and future leaders. JA Malaysia is truly grateful for the empathy shown by HP Malaysia to the challenges these heroes of education are facing at the moment.”
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“The HP volunteer team helped increase the self-esteem of these young women who are forgotten by a large part of society.”
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“The course exceeded my expectations in terms of content, tools, application, and the most valuable thing, which is the human factor, because behind it all there is a whole team full of commitment, dedication and professionalism. HP LIFE truly transforms lives.”
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“I encourage everyone to take advantage of any opportunity to learn new skills, especially if it’s free. Improving your knowledge will take you a long way.”
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I particularly liked the HP LIFE marketing courses. I use these every day in the planning and growth of my business.
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HP LIFE training has been crucial for me. Through the HP LIFE program, I was given mentoring to complete my business plan, learned how to advertise my business and even how to do my accounts from one year to the next.
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Five Tunisian entrepreneurs hone their entrepreneurship skills through the Mashrou3i program and learn cooperation is the best way to grow a successful business.
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I learned how to use Microsoft Excel to determine the break-even point of my business and how to analyze my expenses which has enabled me to better estimate my real costs. HP LIFE helped me in virtually every aspect of my business.
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I learnt so many new skills through HP LIFE. Like how to use the business model canvas tool to develop and refine a business idea, how to determine the break-even point, how to price my services properly, and how to identify my target market.
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HP LIFE was just what I was looking for to add new life to my teaching. I can use the modules as basic course content, or as a refresher. Each module stands alone and can be mixed and matched according to individual class needs.
