Economic development is mostly about job creation, something just about every community wants. Often, that has meant trying to lure existing companies to relocate into a community by offering tax, and other financial incentives. A less visible approach has been to help existing businesses expand, thus creating new jobs rather than trying to steal them from another area.

A third approach is to try to grow jobs from scratch - by promoting and supporting entrepreneurs and start-up businesses.

Though no guarantee of job creation, programs nurturing, educating and supporting entrepreneurs need to be an important part of the job-creation formula. For that reason, Butler County Community College's entrepreneurship program, which will be launched in May, should be applauded and supported by the community.

Small business is, after all, responsible for 75 percent of jobs created in America.

While there is some truth to the notion that entrepreneurs are born rather than trained, a structured program offering a preview of what is required to start and grow a small business can be invaluable to would-be business owners. Even those predisposed toward starting and running their own business can benefit greatly from learning how the process works in an organized college curriculum - as opposed to unstructured on-the-job training, where failure can mean bankruptcy rather than a poor grade.

Too often, would-be entrepreneurs are doomed to fail because they don't know what is required to get their business up and running in terms of financing, marketing, working capital requirements, staffing and government regulations. Gaining an understanding of all these hurdles before taking the first real-world step toward starting a business can mean the difference between success and failure.

BC3 course instructor Melody Kamerer is correct when she notes, "BC3 and Butler County don't need another business theory class, we need businesses." Kamerer's comments are a clear indication that the BC3 program is focused on the realities of small business creation.

The course will introduce students to a range of different types of businesses and will help them understand if running a small business is something they really want to do. Other segments of the program will focus on marketing, financial planning and developing a business plan.

A very important part of the program will allow students to meet with bankers, insurance agents, lawyers, real estate agents and other professionals familiar with and vital to starting and operating a small business. This part of the course, combined with presentations to students by successful small business owners in the community, will provide a valuable dose of reality. Hearing from those who have actually started a small business will mean much more to students than business courses in economics.

From these real-world experiences, students will not only learn what things are critical to success, but they might also learn what problems or hurdles are most likely to result in failure. Lessons learned from others' failures can be just as important as lessons from others' successes.

Programs in entrepreneurship are well-established in other states and elsewhere in Pennsylvania. The planned addition of such a program is a welcome addition to the curriculum at BC3 and one that over time can pay dividends to the larger Butler community through job creation.