Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social committee and the Committee of the Regions - Implementing the Community Lisbon Programme: Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning
Date: 2006-02-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, business start-up, education policy, entrepreneurship, vocational training

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 13.2.2006 
COM(2006) 33 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Implementing the Community Lisbon Programme: 

Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning  

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

1.1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

2.4. 

3. 

4. 

4.1. 

4.2. 

4.3. 

4.4. 

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 

Entrepreneurship is a key competence for growth, employment and personal 
fulfilment...................................................................................................................... 4 

Entrepreneurship in school education .......................................................................... 5 

Entrepreneurship in framework curricula for schools.................................................. 5 

Entrepreneurship in primary education (pupils below the age of 14).......................... 6 

Entrepreneurship in secondary education (from the age of 14) ................................... 7 

Measures to support schools and teachers ................................................................... 8 

Entrepreneurship in higher education .......................................................................... 9 

The way ahead............................................................................................................ 11 

A coherent framework................................................................................................ 11 

Support for schools and teachers................................................................................ 11 

Participation by external actors and businesses ......................................................... 11 

Fostering entrepreneurship in higher education......................................................... 12 

EN 

2 

   EN 

 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

In February 2005, the Commission proposed a new start for the Lisbon Strategy focusing the 
European  Union’s  efforts  on  two  principal  tasks  –  delivering  stronger,  lasting  growth  and 
providing  more  and  better  jobs.  The  new  Partnership  for  Growth  and  Jobs  stresses  the 
importance  of  promoting  a  more  entrepreneurial  culture  and  of  creating  a  supportive 
environment for SMEs. 

The  capacity  of  an  economy  to  successfully  compete  and  grow  depends  on  balancing  the 
stock  of  enterprises  through  encouraging  more  start-ups  and  managing  business  transfer. 
Research  suggests  that  there  is  a  positive  correlation  between  entrepreneurship  and 
economic growth, particularly in high-income countries1, although GDP growth is influenced 
by  many  other  factors.  Sustainable  growth  based  on  innovation  and  excellence  requires  an 
increasing  number  of  start-ups,  which  are  likely  to  provide  more  and  better  jobs.  Countries 
exhibiting  a  greater  increase  in  entrepreneurship  rates  tend  to  exhibit  greater  subsequent 
decreases  in  unemployment  rates2.Moreover,  social  systems  are  increasingly  under  pressure 
due to the shrinking labour force. If Europe wants to successfully maintain its social model, it 
needs more economic growth, more new firms, more entrepreneurs willing to embark in 
innovative ventures, and more high-growth SMEs. 

Entrepreneurship  can  also  contribute  to  social  cohesion  for  less-developed  regions  and  to 
putting  unemployed  or  disadvantaged  people  into  work.  Moreover,  it  can  contribute  to 
unlocking the entrepreneurial potential of women, which has yet to be further exploited.  

There is a need to create a more favourable societal climate for entrepreneurship, based on 
an  integrated  policy  with  a  view  to  not  only  changing  the  mindset  but  also  improving  the 
skills of Europeans and removing obstacles to the start-up, transfer and growth of businesses. 
Previous Commission documents addressed the regulatory, fiscal and financial obstacles3. In 
February  2004,  the  Commission  adopted  an  Entrepreneurship  Action  Plan4,  which 
suggested horizontal measures to create a supportive framework for entrepreneurship policy. 
In November 2005 an integrated policy on SMEs was launched5.  

While  various  factors  influence  entrepreneurship,  cultural  aspects  need  to  be  taken  into 
account.  Europeans  are  reluctant  to  take  up  opportunities  for  self-employment  and 
entrepreneurial  activities6.  Research  suggests  that  cultural  support  (e.g.  through  education 
programmes,  promotional  campaigns,  etc.)  is  positively  linked  with  the  amount  of 
entrepreneurial activity in the EU.7 

Promoting  entrepreneurship  among  young  people  is  a  key  element  of  the  European  Youth 
Pact adopted by the European Council in March 2005. 

1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2004. 
D. Audretsch, Entrepreneurship: A survey of the literature, October 2002. 
See also: http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/entrepreneurship/index_en.htm 
The European Agenda for Entrepreneurship, European Commission, COM (2004) 70 final, 11.02.2004. 
Modern SME Policy for Growth and Employment, COM (2005)551 final, 10.11.2005. 
Flash Eurobarometer 160 ‘Entrepreneurship’, June 2004. 
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2004. 

EN 

3 

   EN 

 
                                                 
1.1. 

Entrepreneurship  is  a  key  competence  for  growth,  employment  and  personal 
fulfilment. 

Entrepreneurship  refers  to  an  individual’s  ability  to  turn  ideas  into  action.  It  includes 
creativity,  innovation  and  risk taking,  as  well  as  the  ability to  plan  and  manage  projects  in 
order to achieve objectives. This supports everyone in day-to-day life at home and in society, 
makes  employees  more  aware  of  the  context  of  their  work  and  better  able  to  seize 
opportunities,  and  provides  a  foundation  for  entrepreneurs  establishing  a  social  or 
commercial activity8. 

Developing  generic  attributes  and  skills  that  are  the  foundations  of  entrepreneurship  is 
complemented by imparting more specific knowledge about business according to the level 
of education. Emphasising the notion of “responsible entrepreneurship” will help to make an 
entrepreneurial career a more attractive proposition. 

While not all youngsters who develop entrepreneurial competence will become entrepreneurs, 
some  evidence  shows  that  around  20%  of  participants  in  mini-company  activities  in 
secondary  school  go  on  to  create  their  own  company  after  their  studies9.  Education  in 
entrepreneurship  increases  the  chances  of  start-ups  and  self-employment  and  enhances 
individuals’  economic  reward  and  satisfaction.  Moreover,  any  dynamic  SME  that  wants  to 
grow will benefit from young people with entrepreneurial mindsets and skills. 

However,  the  benefits  of  entrepreneurship  education  are  not  limited  to  more  start-ups, 
innovative  ventures  and  new  jobs  created.  Entrepreneurship  is  a  key  competence  for  all, 
helping young people to be more creative and self-confident in whatever they undertake and 
to act in a socially responsible way.  

The  Education  &  Training  2010  Work  Programme  included  entrepreneurship  in  a 
reference framework of eight key competences for lifelong learning, necessary for personal 
fulfilment,  social  inclusion,  active  citizenship  and  employability.  This  forms  the  basis  for  a 
recent  Commission  proposal  for  a  Recommendation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the 
Council10. 

Traditionally,  formal  education  in  Europe  has  not  been  conducive  to  entrepreneurship  and 
self-employment. However, as attitudes and cultural references take shape at an early age, the 
education systems can greatly contribute to successfully addressing the entrepreneurial 
challenge within the EU. 

Therefore,  while  recognising  that  the  entrepreneurship  competence  should  be  acquired 
throughout  lifelong  learning,  this  Communication  focuses  on  education  from  primary 
school to university, including also secondary level vocational education (initial vocational 
training) and technical institutions of tertiary level.  

8 

9 

10 

Commission  proposal  for  a  Recommendation  on  Key  Competences  for  Lifelong  Learning 
COM(2005)548 final 
Mini-companies  in  Secondary  Education,  Best  Procedure  Project:  Final  Report  of  the  Expert  Group, 
September 2005. 
Commission proposal for a Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning 

EN 

4 

   EN 

 
                                                 
Although  numerous  initiatives  on  entrepreneurship  education  are  under  way,  they  are  not 
always  part  of  a  coherent  framework.  Based  on  evidence  acquired  under  the  Community 
MAP programme11, this Communication aims to support Member States in developing a 
more  systematic  strategy  for  entrepreneurship  education.  Best  practice  can  be  found  in 
Europe. The challenge lies in spreading further the existing positive examples. 

2. 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SCHOOL EDUCATION 

2.1. 

Entrepreneurship in framework curricula for schools12 

•  Including  explicit  objectives  in  curricula,  together  with  guidelines  for  putting  them 

into practice, provides a more solid basis for entrepreneurship education.  

Particularly in secondary education, there are subjects that can be used – at the initiative of 
schools and teachers – for entrepreneurship learning. Very often, however, such learning takes 
place through extra-curricular activities.  

Some countries revised, or are in the process of revising, the national curriculum in order 
to  recognise  the  entrepreneurial  competence.  While  only  in  a  few  cases  reforms  addressed 
consistently  different  levels  and  types  of  education,  there  are  positive  examples  worth 
highlighting13. 

In Poland, “Basics of Enterprise” is a compulsory subject in all comprehensive secondary and 
vocational schools. Objectives include developing entrepreneurial attitudes and learning how 
to start a business. 

Entrepreneurship and self-employment as objectives of learning are found more frequently in 
vocational secondary education. 

In  Austria,  entrepreneurship  is  part  of  the  curriculum  of  secondary  level  technical  and 
vocational education, for example in the form of students running a fictitious firm. 

Entrepreneurship  competence  is  developed  in  both  formal  and  non-formal  settings  (e.g. 
youth  work  and  various  forms  of  participation  in  society).  Tools  for  the  recognition  and 
validation of entrepreneurship-related skills acquired in non-formal learning should be further 
developed. 

11 

12 

13 

Council Decision (2000/819/EC) of 20 December 2000 on a multiannual programme for enterprise and 
entrepreneurship, and in particular for SMEs (2000/819/EC). 
Framework curricula for school education can be a national or a regional responsibility. Therefore, the 
ideas presented here should be adapted to countries’ contexts. 
For  instance,  in  Spain,  Ireland,  Poland,  Finland  and  the  UK,  but  also  in  Norway.  MAP  project 
Education for Entrepreneurship, Final Report March 2004, and 2005 Report on the Implementation of 
the European Charter for Small Enterprises. 

EN 

5 

   EN 

 
                                                 
2.2. 

Entrepreneurship in primary education (pupils below the age of 14)14 

•  Awareness  should  be  raised  of  the  benefits  of  basic  entrepreneurship  learning  to 

society at large and to learners themselves, even at the early stages of education. 

As for all competences leading to better management of one’s own life, the foundations are 
laid in the early years of education. At primary level, nurturing qualities such as creativity and 
a spirit of initiative helps develop entrepreneurial attitudes. This is best done through active 
learning based on children’s natural curiosity. In addition, learning about society should also 
include  early  knowledge  of  and  contact  with  the  world  of  work  and  business,  and  an 
understanding of the role of entrepreneurs in the community. 

In a number of Member States, curricula already encourage schools to guide children towards 
taking  initiative  and  responsibility.  However,  examples  of  more  explicit  entrepreneurship 
education are few. In general terms, coherent initiatives or programmes led by education 
authorities are still rare in primary education; activities are often led by external actors, 
such  as  non-profit  organisations  supported  by  the  private  sector.  Nonetheless,  there  are  a 
number  of  good  practices  that  should  be  disseminated  to  public  authorities,  schools, 
teachers and parents.  

In  Luxembourg,  the  sixth-year  (11/12  year-old  pupils)  French-language  programme  has  a 
section devoted to starting up a business, based on the strip cartoon “Boule and Bill set up a 
business”, and this is used in all primary schools. The cartoon is also used in the mathematics 
programme for introducing basic financial analysis. 

Methods  of  promoting  a  more  open  mindset  towards  entrepreneurship  include  working  on 
projects,  role  games,  simple  case  studies  and  visits  to  local  enterprises.  These  are  activities 
that support a number of other subjects, and the motivation of those who learn best by doing. 
Especially  at  later  stages  of  primary  education,  entrepreneurship-related  programmes  can 
successfully combine creativity, innovation and a simple concept of business (e.g. pupils 
selling products in school markets, etc.). 

The  “Young  Inventors  Competition”  is  a  programme  run  in  primary  and  lower  secondary 
schools in several countries15 that is aimed at children from 6 to 16 years of age. It aims to 
encourage  students’  creativity,  to  develop  their  ideas  and  enter  them  into  a  competition. 
Winners receive prizes for designs and inventions.  

14 

15 

‘Primary  education’  refers  to  level  1  in  UNESCOs  ISCED  1977  classification.  It  should  be  borne  in 
mind that the definition of primary and secondary education differs significantly between EU Member 
States. 
For instance in Finland, the UK, Iceland and Norway. 

EN 

6 

   EN 

 
                                                 
2.3. 

Entrepreneurship in secondary education (from the age of 14)16 

•  Secondary  education  should  raise  students’  awareness  of  self-employment  and 

entrepreneurship as options for their future career.  

•  Entrepreneurial mindsets and skills can best be promoted through learning by doing 
and  experiencing  entrepreneurship  in  practice,  by  means  of  practical  projects  and 
activities. 

In most European countries, curricula have broad objectives and include subjects that would 
allow learning about entrepreneurship (for instance, social and economic studies, geography, 
etc.). However, implementation often relies on the initiative of schools and teachers and the 
support  of  the  local business community.  In  a  few  Member  States,  practical  experience  of 
entrepreneurship is embedded into the established courses.  

In  Ireland, under  the  established  curriculum,  programmes  like  the  Transition  Year,  the 
Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Applied offer students 
the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship. 

Programmes can have a specific focus on learning about business in practice, for instance by 
means of students running mini-companies. 

The  objective  of  mini-companies  run  by  students  at  school  is  that  of  developing  a  real 
economic  activity  on  a  small  scale,  or  of  simulating  the  way  companies  work  in  a  realistic 
way. Students learn how to work in a team and develop self-confidence. It is estimated that 
more  than  200 000  students  every  year  participate  in  these  programmes  in  the  EU  25  and 
Norway17.  

Within  vocational  secondary  education  (initial  vocational  training),  specific  training  on 
how to start a company can be particularly effective, as students are close to entering working 
life  and  self-employment  may  be  a  valuable  option  for  them.  However,  with  exceptions  in 
some countries (e.g. where there is a well developed apprenticeship system), a real focus on 
entrepreneurship is missing in most cases, since the main task is seen as being to train skilled 
workers.  

In the German Vocational Training System (the so-called « Dual System »), where training 
takes place both in school and in a firm, in the “Master Phase” young people are taught how 
to set up their own company. Such training aims not only at the acquisition of the necessary 
management  competences,  but  also  at  fostering  the  entrepreneurial  attitudes  and  skills  of 
apprentices. 

16 

17 

In  ISCED,  lower  secondary  education  is  level  2,  while  upper  secondary  level,  which  starts  after 
compulsory education, is level 3.  
Mini-companies  in  Secondary  Education,  Best  Procedure  Project:  Final  Report  of  the  Expert  Group, 
September 2005. 

EN 

7 

   EN 

 
                                                 
There is a perception18 that secondary school curricula do not provide sufficient motivation 
to teachers and schools to develop entrepreneurship education. It is therefore crucial to offer 
them support and incentives. 

2.4.  Measures to support schools and teachers 

•  Schools  should  be  given  support  and 

incentives  to  encourage  take-up  of 
entrepreneurship activities and programmes, as many concrete examples of how to do 
it exist already. 

•  Public  authorities  should 

take 

the 

initiative  and  promote  education 

for 

entrepreneurship to schools, heads of schools and teachers. 

•  Supporting the efforts of dedicated organisations is an effective method of spreading 
the  entrepreneurial  spirit  in  schools  and  of  encouraging  partnerships  with  the 
business world.  

Entrepreneurship  develops  in  an  environment  that  encourages  active  forms  of  learning.  To 
enable this, support is needed and should include providing initial and in-service training for 
teachers,  giving  them  the  time  and  resources  to  plan,  run  and  evaluate  activities,  making 
teaching  material  available  and  clarifying  responsibilities.  The  commitment  of  heads  of 
schools and school boards is crucial, as is parental involvement. 

There  is  a  need  for  public  authorities,  especially  those  responsible  for  education, 
employment,  industry  and  enterprise,  to  actively  promote  entrepreneurship  education.  An 
important first step at a national level is establishing formal cooperation between different 
departments  of  the  administration,  given  the  horizontal  and  interdisciplinary  nature  of 
entrepreneurship  education.  This  cooperation  can  lead  to  launching  a  national  strategy  or 
action plan. 

In Finland, an entrepreneurship steering group was set up in 2002 to develop and coordinate 
entrepreneurship  at  different  levels  of  education,  with  members  representing  different 
ministries, organisations and educational administrations.  

One  major  obstacle  is  that  teachers  lack  motivation  and  specific  training.  The  efforts  that 
teachers  devote  to  practice-based  activities,  sometimes  even  outside  their  normal  working 
hours,  should  be  recognised  as  an  official  school  task.  Despite  increasing  awareness  on  the 
part of public authorities, initiatives addressing teachers are in most cases not systematic. 

In terms of policy, there may be different ways of moving forward. Support measures adopted 
by  governments  take  the  form  of  encouraging  partnerships  between  schools  and 
enterprises,  supporting  dedicated  organisations  delivering  concrete  programmes, 
financing  pilot  projects  in  the  schools,  and  disseminating  good  practice.  Although 
systematic  promotion  is  still  limited,  there  are  good  examples  in  Europe  worth 
highlighting. 

18 

MAP project Education for Entrepreneurship, Final Report, March 2004. 

EN 

8 

   EN 

 
                                                 
In  the  Netherlands,  the  government  funded  pilot  projects  in  schools.  Support  included  the 
development of teaching materials, the organisation of seminars and training for teachers. The 
goal  is  now  to  encourage  take-up  of  these  projects  by  other  schools  by  presenting  good 
practices to school management, teachers and students.  

Private  actors  (business  associations,  companies,  entrepreneurs,  business  consultants,  etc.) 
are  becoming  more  involved  in  education,  both  by  sponsoring  specific  initiatives  and  by 
participating directly in teaching (e.g. as mentors). This involvement should be seen by firms 
as  a  long-term  investment,  and  as  an  important  aspect  of  their  corporate  social 
responsibility.  Private-public  partnerships  are  crucial 
the  development  of 
entrepreneurship education. The establishment of school-business-community links is a key 
element of successful programmes. This process needs to be encouraged further.  

to 

Numerous  organisations19  are  currently  disseminating  entrepreneurship  education  across 
Europe by means of partnerships with the business world, with a certain degree of public 
support.  They  promote  programmes  based  on  learning  in  practice,  for  instance  by  means  of 
students  running  mini-companies.  In  the  absence  of,  or  in  addition  to,  a  methodology 
developed internally by the education system, their contribution to entrepreneurship education 
is  significant  in  most  European  countries.  These  organisations  also  provide  training  for 
teachers, and may act as drivers of change in national educational policies. 

In Norway, Young Enterprise Norway is a partner for the Government in implementing the 
Strategy  for  Entrepreneurship  Education.  In  2004,  14%  of  all  students  leaving  upper 
secondary school had participated in the Student Company Programme.  

3. 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION  

•  Universities  and  technical  institutes  should  integrate  entrepreneurship  as  an 
important  part  of  the  curriculum,  spread  across  different  subjects,  and  require  or 
encourage students to take entrepreneurship courses. 

•  Combining entrepreneurial mindsets and competence with excellence in scientific and 
technical studies should enable students and researchers to better commercialize their 
ideas and new technologies developed.  

In  university  studies,  entrepreneurship  education  provides  specific  training  on  how  to  start 
and  run  a  business,  and  encourages  and  supports  business  ideas  from  students.  Tertiary 
education is normally highly decentralised, but there are some examples of a national strategy 
for  promoting  entrepreneurship  in  higher  education,  normally  as  a  result  of  cooperation 
between the administration and universities. 

In  the  UK,  the  aim  of  the  Science  Enterprise  Challenge  is  to  establish  within  universities  a 
network  of  centres  funded  by  the  government  and  specialised  in  matching  entrepreneurship 
studies with science and technology. 

19 

For instance, members of the networks Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise Europe, EUROPEN and 
JADE. 

EN 

9 

   EN 

 
                                                 
There  are  few  Chairs  in  Entrepreneurship  in  Europe20,  which  lags  behind  the  US  by  a 
factor  of  four21.  Moreover,  entrepreneurship  teaching  concentrates  mostly  on  students 
following  economics  and  business  courses;  the  teaching  available  to  those  studying  other 
subjects is limited. Entrepreneurship remains primarily elective and tends to be offered as a 
stand-alone  subject.  Universities  should  integrate  entrepreneurship  in  different  subjects  of 
their study programmes, as it may add value to all degree courses. Also, in order to tackle 
the  shortage  of  specialised  professors,  entrepreneurship  should  be  more  broadly 
recognised as a specialisation field for doctoral programmes. 

Case studies and other interactive teaching methods are under-utilised22, as is the involvement 
of  business  people  in  the  learning  process.  To  encourage  entrepreneurial  behaviour,  a 
supportive  environment  is  needed.  Higher  education  establishments  committed  to 
entrepreneurship provide or facilitate access to risk capital, management capacity building 
and  networking.  Business  plan  competitions  are  an  effective  way  to  expose  students  to 
investors.  The  presence  of  incubators  and  science  parks  also  clearly  signals  universities’ 
commitment, through the practical supply of services. 

Within  business  studies  at  undergraduate  and  graduate  level  (including  MBAs),  courses 
should  have  a  greater  focus  on  aspects  such  as  setting  up  a  business,  managing  the  growth 
phase of an SME and ensuring continuous innovation.  

Special  attention  should  be  paid  to  systematically  integrating  entrepreneurship  training  in 
scientific  and  technical  studies  and  within  technical  institutions  (e.g.  polytechnics),  in 
order to better enable spin-offs and innovative start-ups, and as a means to help researchers to 
acquire  entrepreneurial  skills.  Business  schools  and  technical/scientific  faculties  should 
collaborate  more,  for  instance  by  creating  interdisciplinary  teams  of  students  and  doctoral 
candidates.  There  needs  to  be  more  focus  on  developing  the  skills  and  competencies 
necessary for fully exploiting innovation and knowledge transfer activities in combination 
with the commercialisation of new technologies23. 

European universities need to clearly identify the strategic part that innovation and knowledge 
transfer plays within the overall institution’s missions. 

Academic  spin-offs  are  increasingly  seen  as  important  means  of  enhancing  local  economic 
development.  However,  in  order  to  accomplish  their  new  roles,  scientists  as  well  as 
universities must build business and managerial competencies.  

There are  some internal barriers, for instance a career system strongly based on academic 
merit that still does not make an entrepreneurial path a credible option. Problems also seem to 
pertain  to  labour  mobility  in  and  out  of  academia,  and  to  the  ability  to  flexibly  and 
strategically recruit personnel within universities24. Inter-sectoral mobility of researchers at all 
stages  of  their  careers  (including  at  the  level  of  doctoral  training)  should  become  a  normal 

20 
21 

22 
23 

24 

Best Procedure project on Education and Training for Entrepreneurship, November 2002. 
Survey  on  entrepreneurship  education  in  Europe  by  EFER  and  EFMD,  September  2004.  J.  A.  Katz, 
Survey  of  Endowed  Positions  in  Entrepreneurship  and  Related  Fields  in  the  United  States,  October 
2003. 
Survey on entrepreneurship education in Europe. 
See  also:  More  Research  and  Innovation  –  Investing  for  Growth  and  Employment:  A  Common 
Approach. COM (2005)488 final. 
Nordic Innovation Centre, Entrepreneurial learning & academic spin-offs, Göteborg, January 2005. 

EN 

10 

   EN 

 
                                                 
component  of  a  researcher  career  path25  Such  mobility  should  also  help  to  develop  the 
necessary  skills  and  competences  for  enhancing  the  entrepreneurship  culture  and  attitude 
within universities.  

Finally, it is vital to create a critical mass of entrepreneurship teachers, and to step up cross-
border  collaboration.  While  innovative  teaching  approaches  to  entrepreneurship  training 
within universities are being tested throughout Europe, sharing of these practices should be 
increased.  

4. 

THE WAY AHEAD 

The following recommendations for concrete action are based on evidence and good practice 
found in Europe. Most of the action needs to be taken at national or local level. The proposals 
aim  to  help  formulate  more  systematic  approaches  to  entrepreneurship  education  and  to 
enhance  the  role  of  education  in  creating  a  more  entrepreneurial  culture  in  European 
societies.  

4.1. 

A coherent framework  

•  National  and  regional  authorities  should  establish  cooperation  between  different 
departments, leading to developing a strategy with clear objectives and covering all stages 
of education in the context of the Lisbon national programmes. 

•  Curricula  for  schools  at  all  levels  should  explicitly  include  entrepreneurship  as  an 

objective of education, accompanied by implementation guidelines.  

4.2. 

Support for schools and teachers 

•  Schools  should  be  given  practical  support  and  incentives  to  encourage  take-up  of 

entrepreneurship activities and programmes, through a range of different instruments. 

•  Special  attention  should  be  given  to  training  teachers,  through  initial  and  in-service 
training as well as practical experience, and to raising the  awareness of  heads of schools 
and school boards. 

4.3. 

Participation by external actors and businesses 

•  Cooperation between educational establishments and the local community, especially 
businesses, should be encouraged. Involvement in formal and non-formal education should 
be  seen  by  firms  as  an  investment  and  as  an  aspect  of  their  corporate  social 
responsibility. 

•  The use of student mini-companies at school should be further promoted. In that context, 
the  activity  of  organisations  promoting  these  programmes,  such  as  NGOs,  should  be 
recognised, and their initiatives more systematically supported. 

25 

European  Charter  for  Researchers  and  the  Code  of  Conduct  for  the  Recruitment  of  Researchers 
C52005) 576 final, 22 March 2005. 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
                                                 
4.4. 

Fostering entrepreneurship in higher education 

•  Higher education institutions should integrate entrepreneurship across different subjects 

and courses, notably within scientific and technical studies. 

•  Public  authorities’  support  is  especially  needed  to  provide  high-level  training  for 

teachers and to develop networks that can share good practice. 

•  Teacher  mobility  between  university  and  the  business  world  should  be  encouraged, 

together with the involvement of business people in teaching.  

The Commission will continue to support Member States’ actions on more comprehensive 
policies,  through  coordination  activities  and  specific  projects.  It  will  disseminate  good 
practice and raise the visibility of entrepreneurship education through a wide range of actions, 
including  the  follow-up  to  the  Recommendation  on  key  competences.  From  2006,  work  on 
entrepreneurship  in  higher  education  will  be  intensified.  From  2007  the  proposed  new 
Community Integrated Programme on Lifelong Learning will support innovative projects with 
a  European  dimension,  aiming  to  foster  entrepreneurial  attitudes  and  skills  and  to  promote 
links  between  educational  establishments  and  enterprises.  The  European  Social  Fund  will 
continue to support initiatives at European, national and local level. 

Public authorities in the Member States are invited to take the necessary action and to 
speed  up  the  pace  of  reforms,  according  to  the  specific  needs  of  each  country.  This 
Communication  will  serve  as  a  reference  for  reviewing  progress  in  policy  development, 
notably through the Lisbon Reports that the Member States will submit under the Integrated 
Guidelines for Growth and Jobs (Guideline No 15). 

EN 

12 

   EN