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1. Policy Framework

2. Formal learning

3. Non-formal and informal learning

4. Educators support in entrepreneurship education

Policy Framework

In line with the Youth Guarantee Plus 2021-2027 Plan (Plan de Garantía Juvenil Plus 2021-2027), Spain has introduced entrepreneurship into training programmes to enhance employability. This aligns with the broader efforts to address the low motivation for entrepreneurship among Spanish youth, as highlighted in the Youth Strategy 2030.

The Youth Guarantee Plus 2021-2027 Plan, which is supported by EU funding, focuses on improving entrepreneurial skills as a means to boost employability for young people, particularly those under 30 with low qualification

Although there is no single national strategy or entrepreneurship education, at regional level Spain´s Autonomous Communities have been proactive in creating region-specific programmes. These initiatives aim to enhance entrepreneurial skills among youth, often in partnership with local business communities and educational institutions .

The regulations framework for the development of entrepreneurship as attaining competence is established by the Organic Law for Education 2/2006 (Ley Orgánica de Educación 2/2006) and the amendments to the same established in the Organic Law 3/2020 (Ley Orgánica 3/2020, LOMLOE) amending the previous law, introducing the  entrepreneurial sense of initiative, along with the development of contents related to entrepreneurship in the training curriculum and syllabus.

Formal learning

While LOMLOE (Organic Law 3/2020) establishes the general for entrepreneurship education, the Autonomous Regions are responsible for implementing this framework into their own curriculums. The curriculum incorporates subjects on entrepreneurship, focusing on skills such as personal initiative, technological versatility, and business management.

However, there are clear lines in the law:

• Article 25: Social and business entrepreneurship will be addressed in all subjects of compulsory secondary education.
• Article 40: Vocational training cycles shall promote the competence of entrepreneurship that favours the entrepreneurial spirit and personal initiative.
• Article 41: Vocational training shall ensure that students acquire skills related to digitisation, entrepreneurship and technological versatility.

Publications have been published on entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial competence which help us to understand this aspect of education in Spain.

• Entrepreneurship Education in the Spanish Education System, 2015 (La educación para el emprendimientoen el sistema educativo español. Año 2015): Report by the Red Española de Información sobre Educación (Eurydice España – REDIE) presents a detailed analysis of the introduction of entrepreneurship education in the training curricula of the Autonomous Regions.
• Creating Entrepreneurship Classrooms in Vocational Education and Training: a guide to start entrepreneurship (Creando aulas de emprendimiento en Formación Profesional. Una guía para empezar a emprender): 2021 guide , published by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, describing the steps to follow for the implementation of Entrepreneurship Classrooms in Vocational Training centres through the Ministry's Vocational Training Modernisation Plan.
• Twenty Years of Entrepreneurial Education (2000-2020) (Veinte años de educación emprendadora (2000-2020): Published in 2021, it compiles the institutional recommendations, policy guidelines, training practices and innovations on entrepreneurship that have emerged over these two decades.

Non-formal and informal learning

The Law on support of the Entrepreneurship and its Internationalisation 14/2013 (Ley 14/2013), recognises the ‘mini-company’ or students company (Miniempresa o empresa de estudiantes) as a pedagogical tool and establishes its features. In addition to formal education, Spain also promotes alternative approaches to entrepreneurship education, such as the use of mini-companies as pedagogical tools for developing entrepreneurial skills.

The Recognise Project (Proyecto Reconoce), developed in collaboration with the Spanish Youth Institute, helps young people gain recognition for the entrepreneurial skills acquired through volunteering. his initiative aims to improve youth employability by formally acknowledging skills developed in informal and non-formal learning environments.

When recognising entrepreneurship skills, the  EU Youth pass tool is used for recognition of  these skills in both non-formal and informal learning. Another tool is the European Skills Passport, as well as Europass, which is useful for setting up an electronic portfolio of qualifications and skills.

Educators support in entrepreneurship education

Policies and initiatives of support for the development of professional skills of teachers concerning education for entrepreneurship are specifically developed within the scope of the Autonomous Communities.

The report Entrepreneurship Education in the Spanish education system, 2015 (La educación para el emprendimientoen el sistema educativo español. Año 2015) presents a detailed account of measures related to basic training and the ongoing training of teachers with a list of courses addressed to teachers: awareness-raising events, online follow-up of the implementation processes within the classroom, guidelines for the implementation of education for entrepreneurship, development of teaching materials for implementation, teacher networks for the exchange of ideas and good practice in education for entrepreneurship or support from the education centres.

The Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports (Ministerio de Educación, Formación Profesional y Deportes) continues to offer resources for teachers to improve entrepreneurial skills. While there are no specific entrepreneurship  modules, the Ministry recognises courses offered by third parties, such as the Entrepreneurship in Primary and Secondary Education (La iniciativa emprendedora en Educación Primaria y Secundaria) course organised by ANPE Sindicato.