Investigating the Knowledge Requirements of Support Practitioners

To date attention appears to have been mainly
concentrated on the development and support of the
learning, skill and competence requirements that
entrepreneurs and small business owners need to
succeed. However, very little attention is placed on
the ability of support practitioners to provide the
required support. Generally accepted standards with
regard to the knowledge, skills and competence
requirements for support practitioners seem to be
lacking.In this book the need for a particular focus
on the knowledge areas for support practitioners is
highlighted. In this book the author identified gaps
that support practitioners might have which in turn
could prevent them from providing the required
support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The
book argues amonst others for the development of
specific education
and training programmes for support practitioners
within which the three knowledge areas of
entrepreneurship, business management and the
practice disciplines are dealt with collectively.The
research findings are of benefit to support
practitioners, employing organisations and education
institutions and can also assist with the development
of industry standards.