Stakeholders’ role in entrepreneurship education and training programmes with impacts on regional development

Abstract

Abstract This study's main objective was to understand major stakeholders' role in entrepreneurship education and training programmes and these entities' perceptions of the programmes' impacts on regional development. This research involved semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders participating in an entrepreneurship education and training programme in a low-density region. The results show, first, that stakeholders' active participation in entrepreneurship programmes is important to ensure their sustainability. Second, the creation of a network among these stakeholders is fundamental to ensuring more interaction and closer proximity with participating entrepreneurs. Last, entrepreneurship education and training programmes can have a number of impacts on low-density regions, including, among others, local investment and the creation of new businesses, jobs and specialised services. This study's results contribute to a deeper understanding of the importance of entrepreneurship education and training programmes to regional development, as well as advancing the evolution of stakeholder and network theories. Regarding practical implications, the findings are expected to serve as an incentive for governments to develop public policies promoting entrepreneurship and related education programmes. The results further highlight the need to involve different regional stakeholders in entrepreneurship programmes that generate new businesses with positive impacts on local and regional development.