Entrepreneurial Education, Sustainability and Youth Employment

Miriam Cresta

doi:10.4468/2015.3.04cresta

Abstract

For the future socio-economic development of member States, European policy makers urge endowing youngsters with an entrepreneurial mindset through business education starting from school. Such investments in education would activate a virtuous circle that enables overcoming the miss-match between supply and demand through effective education, reducing the number of early school leavers through the introduction of more practice-oriented teaching methods, increasing youth employment and nurturing a vocation for social innovation at the local level.

Highlights

Entrepreneurship education has been at the centre of European policies for the last ten years and is considered a key factor of sustainability to reduce youth unemployment and the skills gap, disseminate social and economic innovation, and facilitate the development of a new society where young people can become active participants in building their future
Entrepreneurship education is in every way a disruptive education model
Youngster involved in a business education program at school can acquire numerous transferable skills

Summary

Introduction

Entrepreneurship education has been at the centre of European policies for the last ten years and is considered a key factor of sustainability to reduce youth unemployment and the skills gap, disseminate social and economic innovation, and facilitate the development of a new society where young people can become active participants in building their future. In the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan, the European Commission invites member States to ensure they “Offer the opportunity to young people to have at least one practical entrepreneurial experience before leaving compulsory education” by assigning the central role of flywheel and driver to the education sector and national school systems in collaboration with the system of institutions, companies, not-for-profit and employers’ organizations.

Results

Conclusion