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1. Developing entrepreneurial skills through cultural activities

2. Support young entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative sectors

Developing entrepreneurial skills through cultural activities

Formal Education

Entrepreneurship education is explicitly referred to in the curricula as follows:

• In ISCED 1-3, new national curricula explicitly recognise EE as a general competence and a cross-curricular objective. It is also included as the cross-curricular topic 'Civic Initiative and Entrepreneurship'
• In ISCED 2-3, it is taught in the optional separate subjects 'Entrepreneurial Studies' (ISCED 2) and 'Economic and Entrepreneurship Studies' (ISCED 3), and in the compulsory subject 'Civics and Citizenship Education' (ISCED 2-3).

Central level recommendations for teaching methods are available through the new curricula for basic schools and upper secondary schools.

Learning outcomes for EE are defined in the general part of the National Curricula for Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools as well in subject syllabi. Some examples are:

• in ISCED 1, students are expected, for example, to understand that money pays for things and is earned by working and to know how to cooperate with others;
• in ISCED 2, students are expected, for example, to have an understanding of labour market opportunities for those with different educational levels, as well as know what it means to be an owner, entrepreneur, employer, employee or unemployed person;
• in ISCED 3, students are expected, for example, to understand entrepreneurship as a career choice and understand that it is possible for them to become entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurship education is explicitly referred to in the national curricula, which is described in detail in chapter 3.8. 

In higher education, culture management can be studied (BA, MA) in the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and University of Tartu including in its collage Viljandi Culture Academy.

Non-formal Education

The recognition and validation of the learning, including entrepreneurial learning, in non-formal and informal learning environments, is been an important topic in education and youth policies for a long time. There is a legal framework allowing prior learning and work experience to be recognized and validated in the formal education system. The entrepreneurship of young people has an important place in youth work, described in more detail in chapter 3.8.

Support young entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative sectors

The initiative “Creative Estonia” is in the heart of developing and supporting entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative sectors.

Creative Estonia was established in 2009 by Enterprise Estonia, funded by the European Social Fund in order to increase awareness about the potential of creative industries in the Estonian economy. The larger aim is to present the content, unique characteristics, economic, social, and regional value of creative industries and to create a platform for the discussion of creative industry problems and solutions. In addition,  to support beginning and established creative businesses with much-needed information and advice, increasing the business and exportability of creative businesses. Creative Estonia has contributed to forming cooperation networks, and the exchange of expertise and information nationally and internationally.

The Creative Estonia portal gathers a lot of information and support material about creative industries in Estonia. It functions as a news portal for the sector in cooperation with partner organizations, offering up-to-date information about events, studies, support measures, and also featuring interviews and articles with outstanding people in the sector. The most visited pages focus on starting and developing a creative business.

As the role of starting and existing creative businesses is vital, Creative Estonia launched the virtual product and service development environment PESA in 2011. PESA is Estonia's first web-based development program. Each year, 20 companies with great export potential from different parts of Estonia are taking part in the 1-year support program. Businesses and cultural organizations are also invited to free regional marketing seminars taking place once a year in five different towns in Estonia. The 2018 PESA graduates catalog illustrates the activities of these projects and which enterprises graduated from the PESA program.

TeamLab product development days take place twice a year. TeamLab aims to connect designers, engineers, and managers in order to create new products. The first TeamUp was held in 2010 autumn as a one-day-event. The next events have already been a two-day event – during the first day teams are formed who will prepare a product project. On the second day, the teams will present their business plan to the jury. The last event took place in 2019 Autumn.

To encourage contact between businesses and creative people, Creative Estonia organizes various events and seminars, open-coffee style meetings, and short lectures where creative businesses and potential investors are brought together. To promote the idea of creative industries, Creative Estonia participates in conferences to do with management, business, and innovation as well as other areas and seeks solutions to problems in the creative industries with input from key figures from local government level right up to the parliament.