3.8 Development of entrepreneurship competence
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Policy Framework
The first strategy in Flanders dates back to 2007. The second strategy is the 2011-2014 Action Plan for the Promotion of Entrepreneurial Spirit and Entrepreneurship via Education. The Government has confirmed that this strategy is still ongoing, despite being dated to conclude at the end of 2014. The second strategy identifies four priorities:
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supporting the development of the entrepreneurial spirit
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creating opportunities for practical entrepreneurial learning
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increasing people’s motivation to become entrepreneurs
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and ensuring that teachers show entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrate a balanced view of entrepreneurship.
Actions address the need for a common vocabulary, support for teachers (including methods, networks and placements in industry), communicating with all partners and ensuring that learning progression takes place across education levels and phases of teacher education.
The Flemish Government launched a third specific strategy, the Action Plan for Entrepreneurship Education 2015-2019 (Actieplan Ondernemend Onderwijs 2015-2019), at the end of 2015. This was a shared initiative between the Minister of Agriculture and Sea Fishing, the Minister of Education and the Minister of Economy, Science, Innovation, Employment, Professional education and Sport. The objective of the Action Plan is to prepare students for self-employment as well as providing teachers with the training needed to help them create positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship and self-employment. The Action Plan is also a contribution to the economic growth strategy Flanders in Action 2020.
The Action Plan aims at fostering a sense of initiative and entrepreneurship in young people and adults through regular education. The following groups belong to the Action Plan's target group:
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pupils in nursery and primary education
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pupils in full-time and part-time secondary education, including apprenticeship and Se-n-Se (secondary after secondary education),
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pupils in part-time education in the arts
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students in higher education
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course participants in adult education, with the exception of the training course leading to the business management certificate.
Since the 2015-2019 legislative period, no new action plan (transversal policy framework) on this topic have been developed. One of the intentions formulated in the Policy Paper on Employment and Social Economy for the 2019-2024 legislature, is to warm people up to entrepreneurship for all ages as an equal choice. Pathways of and education in entrepreneurship are seen as important levers to stimulate and strengthen entrepreneurship both among those in work and work-seeking. The Policy Paper on Economy, Science Policy and Innovation for the 2019-2024 policy period also stresses the importance of instigating the entrepreneurial spirit in Flanders, yet a new strategic plan for the promotion of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial spirit and the development of entrepreneurial competences has not been developed, even though the importance of entrepreneurial education is again highlighted in the Policy Paper on Employment for the 2024-2029 policy period.
Formal learning
For a long time, entrepreneurship has not been included in the curriculum. Nevertheless, aspects of entrepreneurship such as creativity and sense of initiative are incorporated as cross-curriculum attainment targets in primary and secondary schools. Further up the educational ladder, business-related vocational education and training (VET) and higher education courses incorporate entrepreneurship in the attainment targets. Entrepreneurship education schemes are widely available but mainly optional. The extent of provision varies by educational level. Most of the opportunities are concentrated at the general secondary education level. The decision to get involved in enterprise education programmes is often taken at the school or teacher level. Statutory courses on entrepreneurship are only found in some fields of VET and higher education. However, there is a growing awareness of the importance of enterprise education across all levels.
The Action Plan for Entrepreneurship Education (2015-2019) mentions that the Flemish Government will seek clarification of the role of entrepreneurial learning in the on-going parliamentary debate on secondary school graduation requirements (eindtermendebat). With the introduction of new secondary school attainment targets in September 2021, entrepreneurship has been given a place. It is one of the key competences to which the various attainment targets are linked. The Action Plan states further that a professional qualification Entrepreneur will be developed in the framework of the Flemish qualification structure.
Vlajo (Vlaamse Jonge Ondernemingen – Flemish Young Enterprises), a non-profit organization, builds on its partnerships with education institutes, the Flemish Government and the business community to provide practical experience. Vlajo specifically provides practical education projects to stimulate entrepreneurship and works with schools to engage students in mini enterprises. It provides a framework for the creation and management of small businesses in a few months during the school year. Students (mini entrepreneurs) develop skills by taking key positions in human resources, financial, technical, and commercial departments, and by working in management, advertising, marketing, accounting, and sales. Vlajo is subsidized by Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) and the Ministry of Education and Training.
The Policy Paper on Employment, Economy, Science and Innovation 2014-2019 (Beleidsnota Werk en Sociale Economie 2014-2019) states that young entrepreneurs should develop and maintain their competences. For this reason, SYNTRA Flanders and Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) are the key partners in an integrated approach for the strengthening of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial training. They make people enthusiastic about entrepreneurship at all ages as an equal choice.
In the Policy Paper on Employment and Social Economy for the 2019 through 2024 policy period, the importance of entrepreneurship skills is stressed once again. It states that entrepreneurship and the education of entrepreneurship competences must be stimulated. Entrepreneurship pathways and entrepreneurship training remain important levers to encourage and strengthen entrepreneurship, both among jobseekers and those in work. Entrepreneurship skills will be strengthened in the future via a five-year Master Call at VLAIO, part of which will be a closed call (via the SYNTRA not-for-profit organisations with which a management agreement is drawn up) so that their knowledge, expertise and reach can be further exploited.
Non-formal and informal learning
The Flemish qualification structure is a validation system to recognise and validate education, societal functions and non-formal and informal experiences. In this way, the Government of Flanders plans to work on an integrated EVC-policy (policy to value competencies acquired elsewhere).
The Action Plan for Entrepreneurship Education 2015-2019 mentions support for youth cooperation. Youth cooperation schemes enable young people to experiment with their entrepreneurial skills in a supportive and safe environment.
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Haven is a cooperative of young people, youth centres and motivated partners. Together they provide a safe testing ground where young entrepreneurs are given the space and time to experiment with their own project. This allows them to safely test the viability of their own business while developing the necessary entrepreneurial skills. Haven is subsidized by Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO). Formaat also supports youth initiatives to stimulate entrepreneurship. Formaat is subsidized by the Department of Culture, Youth and Media.
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There is also a statute ‘student-entrepreneur’. From the 1st of January 2017, this statute enables students to combine their studies with an enterprise within a beneficial taxation regime, for instance their parents continue to receive child support and can continue to receive a tax reduction for them as a studying child. This can be used for student-entrepreneurs who are between 18 and 25 years old and are subscribed for courses in an educational institution in order to receive a diploma that is recognised by the authorised agency. The statute provides a favorable system of contributions concerning the social statute of independent workers. As a result, young people whose income is limited to 6.505,33 euro will not have to pay contributions and their parents continue to receive child allowances.
The website of Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) lists other ways for young people to learn entrepreneurship skills, including initiatives in the 10 Flemish student cities, initiatives in the Cultural and Creative sectors (such as Flanders DC, Cultuurloket, Kunstenpunt), Start Academy of Vlajo (Flemish young entreprises), step-up trajectory of UNIZO, workshops and individual guidance to develop a business plan and investigate the feasibility of the project (e.g. Bryo Stand up for students, Start!,), Sociale innovatiefabriek (Social innovation factory), Start me up.
In addition, there are also specific initiatives taken by Flemish youth organizations with the support of the Government of Flanders. JINT, a coordination body for International Youth Work, promotes Youthpass as an outcome of international mobility projects (Erasmus+: Youth in Action). JINT has also published a document that describes the main instruments for the recognition of competences in a European context. It highlights Europass, Youthpass and the European Portfolio for Youth Workers and Youth Leaders. Learning also takes place within the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme. Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a cross-border exchange programme that offers new and aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn from experienced entrepreneurs who run small businesses in one of the other cooperating countries.
Educators support in entrepreneurship education
The Action Plan for Entrepreneurship Education 2015-2019 mentions that educators should be able to facilitate entrepreneurship education. Educators should have the space, time, support and training to facilitate entrepreneurship education and the opportunity to share knowledge and experience. Their educational institution should bring in the expertise for support and training through cooperation with external partners.
In addition, educators and lecturers play a key role in providing Entrepreneurial Education. Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) has a vital role in bringing together all information and facilitating and stimulating entrepreneurial education and learning. It offers online support and networking and knowledge exchange opportunities.
Online support
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The Action Plan for Entrepreneurship Education 2015-2019 mentions that Competento, a virtual knowledge centre on entrepreneurial competences, ensures that educators can consult subsidised material and activities on the online platform KlasCement. Since, Competento has been integrated into SOHO (Stimuleer Ondernemend Hoger Onderwijs, Stimulate Entrepreneurship Higher Education). Within VLAIO’s role to stimulate the development of entrepreneurial competences of youngsters within and outside of education, SOHO refers to all support VLAIO offers to educational professionals regarding entrepreneurial education and learning. They offer an online portal to refer to all information on existing initiatives, materials, tools and methodologies that can be used in transferring and developing entrepreneurial competences in the classroom environment and beyond. SOHO contains more than 500 links to various initiatives, training manuals and guidance documents, all of them focusing on entrepreneurship education at all levels of education. The aim of the portal is to help teachers design courses with embedded entrepreneurship elements.
Network
Furthermore, embedded within SOHO the Forum Enterprising Higher Education (Forum Oho) functions as a stakeholder platform that brings together relevant stakeholders to stimulate and support entrepreneurship and enterprising spirit among higher education students. In particular, via SOHO-days Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) is developing a learning network for teachers and external partners to translate and concretise the teaching of entrepreneurship by knowledge exchange with peers.