Opening the way to youth entrepreneurship

Over the years, EU Member States have committed to increasing the opportunities for youth entrepreneurship, as a way to facilitate school-to-work transition and boost employment. One of the core actions is promoting the attainment of entrepreneurial competences both in and out of school.

Non-formal learning is particularly effective in stimulating entrepreneurial attitudes. It fosters experiential learning through hands-on activities like enterprise simulation and job shadowing. These activities are especially helpful in offsetting the fear of failing, a frequent disincentive among young people to embark in entrepreneurial ventures.

The map reveals that national authorities in the vast majority of countries have established measures to strengthen young people’s entrepreneurial competences out of formal education. Measures vary across countries. In some, entrepreneurial skills obtained in non-formal contexts can lead to qualifications. Other countries focus on supporting hands-on training, for example by developing mock enterprises. Providing financial facilitations to young people who want to combine education and entrepreneurship is also a common measure.