Policy Framework

Wallonia

As it is stated in the Regional policy Statement 2024-2029 (déclaration de politique régionale 2024-2029 - pp 16.), "the Government will make the promotion, support, and development of entrepreneurship a cornerstone of Wallonia’s economic recovery. It will adopt a supportive approach toward aspiring entrepreneurs and ensure the promotion of success stories. As part of economic development activities, raising awareness of entrepreneurial spirit among young people (such as through Générations entreprenantes) will be expanded, generalized, and contextualized across all educational tracks from an early age, in partnership with the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles".

Among others missions, the Agency raises awareness of entrepreneurial spirit among young people through the programme "Générations entreprenantes". 

Brussels

The Agency charged to support Entrepreneurship in the Brussels Region is "HUB.Brussels". 

At federal level, the Minister of self-employed workers and middle classes has created the status “student-entrepreneur” for students under 25 years old. This law will came into effect the 1^st of January 2017. This is a tax and social status which supports entrepreneur’s students who earn money thanks to their entrepreneurial activity while they are still at school. They used to be disadvantaged compare to the ones with a student job regarding the tax collecting.    

Formal learning

The Agency makes sure that each Walloon school ensures information about Walloon economy, entrepreneurial possibilities, and entrepreneurship awareness to every student. With this in mind, the Agency works with officers in charge of raising awareness about entrepreneurship. They encounter headteachers and teachers to raise awareness about entrepreneurship, promote the entrepreneurial teaching method and the importance to bring this competence into curricula across schools. They are the ambassadors of entrepreneurship in schools.

The Agency also launches “calls for projects” for activities for students to discover the “entrepreneurship world”. For instance, bringing a professional entrepreneur in school, role-playing, e-learning on the entrepreneurial thematic, etc.

Higher education is a chosen partner for the Agency. The strategy aims at developing more concrete activities with high schools and Universities dedicated to entrepreneurial activity and economy. The Agency supports these schools financially or with actions lead by associations or private operators. The objective is to create, develop or intensify lectures focused on entrepreneurship activity (how to make a business plan, accounting, etc.). These lectures are fully part of the academic programme and are part of the ECTS system.

The Agency intends to develop assessment tools to validate skills acquired through academic curricula or through non-formal or informal learning.

Walloon Universities have developed a status for students with a specific profile. It recognises entrepreneurial, disabled, sports and artist students a specific profile which offers them more flexibility with their timetable. It is an initiative of Universities and higher education schools themselves. Therefore, the status and its features differ depending on the University. 

Non-formal and informal learning

At the level of the french-speaking Community, the International Youth Office offers a programme “Entrechok” which addresses directly young people. It offers them the possibility to travel abroad to develop their entrepreneurship project.

The International Youth Office is also a partner for a European project named “programme AKI” which aims at assessing and adding value to skills acquired by young people through an international mobility project. 

Educators support in entrepreneurship education

Wallonie

The Step2you website is a platform dedicated to entrepreneurial education for young people, aiming to develop entrepreneurial spirit and skills from an early age. It is managed by organizations connected to education and entrepreneurship in Wallonia and Brussels (such as Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, be.brussels, beeducation.be, Wallonie Entreprendre, Fondation PVWallonie).

Examples of programmes :

• In primary schools : tools such as "CapTen", a method designed to encourage students to dare to undertake and carry out an ambitious project of their own.
  In 2007, Cap'ten won the European Enterprise Award for "Investment in People" from the European Commission, which selected it from over 300 projects from the 27 Member States.
• In secondary schools (e.g. Les Jeunes Entreprises' Mini-entreprises) ;
• In higher education (e.g. WSL's Startech -  an entrepreneurship awareness program for students)

There is no certification in entrepreneurship teaching.