Page 166 - guidance-supporting-europe-s-aspiring-entrepreneurs-policy-and-practice-to-harness-future-potential

Guidance supporting Europe’s aspiring entrepreneurs
Policy and practice to harness future potential

Appropriate media need to be used to promote entrepreneurship to students
and workers interested in establishing their own businesses.
Guidance practitioners and education and training professionals need to
ensure that individuals interested in entrepreneurship have access to credible
role models and possible mentors, hence links are to be established with
appropriate business people: former students, local entrepreneurs, etc. Such role
models play an important role in explaining the path they took to
entrepreneurship, what it entailed and how their studies linked to self-
employment, enabling aspiring entrepreneurs to understand the challenges they
might face. Schools, authorities and project promoters should seek to tap into the
willingness of many experienced and/or retired entrepreneurs to volunteer their
time to act as a role model or mentor.
The types of extra-curricular activities described in this report should
continue to play a key part in helping to develop entrepreneurship. Cross-
disciplinary initiatives enable students to draw on expertise of colleagues with
different outlooks and skill sets and thereby help to build entrepreneurial
characteristics such as teamwork and creativity.
A ‘meeting of minds’ that brings together academic theory on
entrepreneurship and practical experience is necessary so theory and practice
becomes intertwined. Practical experience is crucial and allowing students time in
businesses learning from entrepreneurs, as well as bringing entrepreneurs into
education and training institutions, provides the necessary exposure to
understand day-to-day business practices. Many underachieving students excel
in practical, entrepreneurship-oriented activities. Work placements and
internships in SMEs, start-up companies in particular, can also be useful for
stimulating interest in business formation.
In pursuing an entrepreneurial policy agenda, it is paramount that careers
guidance and education and training professionals are equipped with the
necessary skills and knowledge to support students. Such skills and knowledge
need to underpin their day-to-day activities, and so should be built into initial and
continuing training. Guidance services, including those aimed at supporting
aspiring and new entrepreneurs, should be accessible to everyone. They also
should take into consideration the specific barriers to entrepreneurship faced by
individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and groups which are currently
under-represented in the entrepreneur community.
This study also reinforces the recommendations of the 2008 Council
Resolution on lifelong guidance in that it emphasises the importance of equipping
individuals with skills to manage their careers throughout their lives. Career
management skills can help prospective and new entrepreneurs to survive and

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