1. Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry Directorate General
Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning
Kirsi Ekroth-Manssila Deputy Head of Unit
European Commission Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General

2. Political framework
Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs: Member States should reinforce entrepreneurship education
Commission’s Annual Progress Report 2006: proposal to add entrepreneurship to all national school curricula
Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council: entrepreneurship is a key competence for all

3. What is “Entrepreneurship Education” ?
To develop personal attributes and horizontal skills: creativity, initiative, risk-taking, autonomy, self-confidence, leadership, team-working…
Awareness of self-employment and entrepreneurship as possible career options
Learning by doing: work on concrete projects (e.g. students running mini-companies)
Specific business skills: how to start and run successfully a company.

4. Entrepreneurship related skills
Personal skills:
Business skills:
Team working
Basic economics
Communication
Financial literacy
Self-confidence
Developing market research
Taking initiative
Drafting a business plan
Problem-solving
Raising finance
Taking calculated risk
Sales techniques
Leadership
Running a business meeting

5. Policy instruments Open method of co-ordination
Tools: Expert groups, studies, dialogue with governments and stakeholders, benchmarking, monitoring of progress, organisation of events.
Objectives: To promote the exchange and dissemination of good practice.
To steer policy action in the EU Member States.

6. Some activities of the EC
Education for Entrepreneurship, especially in primary and secondary schools. Expert Reports and Guide on Good Practice
Student Mini-companies in Secondary Education. Expert Report and audiovisual material
Commission’s Communication “Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning”
Ongoing project:
Entrepreneurship in Higher Education, especially in non- business studies

7. Share of secondary schools participating in mini-company programmes

8. Commission Communication
Commission Communication - COM (2006) 33
“Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning“
Objectives:
Set the scene, and showcase good practice
Identify key issues to be addressed
Suggest measures for a more systematic strategy
Trigger action in the Member States

9. Some good examples
Finland: entrepreneurship strategy was jointly developed by different ministries and organisations
Luxembourg: programme for all primary schools has a section on starting up a business based on a cartoon
Poland: entrepreneurship is a compulsory subject in all secondary schools
Spain, Asturias: students run import-export mini-companies as part of the regional curriculum for secondary schools
UK: pilots in schools and now dissemination; Science Enterprise Challenge introducing entrepreneurship in science and technological universities

10. Proposed action Develop a coherent framework
Support to schools and teachers
Participation by external actors and teachers
Fostering entrepreneurship in higher education
Share and disseminate good practice

11. Oslo Conference – October 2006
“Entrepreneurship Education in Europe: Fostering Entrepreneurial Mindsets through Education and Learning”
support_measures/training_education/index.htm
How to turn the action lines of the Commission Communication into concrete activities

12. The Oslo Agenda for Entrepreneurship Education in Europe
A rich catalogue of initiatives, based on successful experiences in Europe
Stakeholders can pick actions at the appropriate level
Possible actors are indicated for each one of the proposed actions

13. Actions proposed Framework for policy development:
Ensure political support at high level
Better integrate entrepreneurship education into the Lisbon monitoring process
Set up a European-wide framework of objectives
Launch national strategies
Create Steering Groups: European and national
Ensure coordination at EU level in the evaluation

14. Actions proposed Support to educational establishments:
Integrate entrepreneurship in curriculum
Commission to support curricular reforms
Support the use of practice-based tools
Ensure sustained funding/support
Build European and national platforms for exchange
Develop research to assess the impact

15. Actions proposed Support to teachers and educators:
Attach training to teachers to curriculum reforms
Adopt innovative methods to train teachers
Set-up incentives at school level to enable teachers
Support the mobility of educators across Europe

16. Actions proposed
Entrepreneurship activities in schools and in higher education:
Raise awareness of the role of entrepreneurs
Introduce innovative pedagogies into all courses
Test entrepreneurial competences of students
Link students to companies and business people
Allow and support the spontaneous initiative of student associations
Engage alumni in the activities

17. Actions proposed Entrepreneurship activities in schools (contd)
Offer training to disadvantaged groups
Integrate entrepreneurship across different subjects
Bring entrepreneurs into the classroom, and involve students in enterprise projects
Increase the production of European case studies
Give entrepreneurship more academic esteem
Embed evaluation into all programmes

18. Actions proposed
Building links and opening education to the outside world:
Encourage the creation of learning communities
Businesses to donate a part of the working time of staff to activities in school / university
Create label for “entrepreneurial schools” and “entrepreneurial universities”
Establish entrepreneurship centres at a local level

19. Actions proposed Communication activities:
Launch awareness campaigns: EU and national
Celebrate entrepreneurship programmes that work well
Establish awards to acknowledge enterprises that donate funds and time

20. Next steps
Dissemination to policy makers in public administrations and to other stakeholders
A source of inspiration for any strategy or specific measures to be implemented at national and regional level
The Commission will use the Agenda to establish its priorities, and to draw ideas for future actions