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

Research methods

The research process comprised primary and secondary research and
comparative analysis. The process started with an initial mapping exercise and
literature review. The results from this initial research informed the primary
research that followed: a telephone-based interview survey of entrepreneurship
education experts covering the VET and HE sectors and associations
representing entrepreneurs, including national and European actors, and a series
of 26 good practice case studies. Finally, to validate the findings of the previous
research phases an online survey was conducted and targeted at Ministry level
guidance experts in the Member States: here the aim was to inform the study
about the most up-to-date developments concerning guidance and
entrepreneurship learning in initial vocational education and training (IVET) and
in higher education institutions (HEIs).

Definition of entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a multifaceted concept that manifests itself in many different
ways. Various definitions are used and no single definition has been generally
agreed upon (OECD, 2009b). The European Commission defines
entrepreneurship as ‘the mindset and process to create and develop economic

activity by blending risk-taking, creativity and/or innovation with sound
management, within a new or an existing organisation’ (European Commission,
2003). Eurostat makes a distinction between two different types of entrepreneurs:
‘self-employed persons’ who do not employ anyone, and ‘employers’ who have at
least one employee. In the context of this study, entrepreneurship is understood
broadly as ranging from single projects (that might only involve the entrepreneur
on a part-time basis) to major undertakings creating many job opportunities.

Background

Since the Lisbon Council in 2000, entrepreneurship has been increasingly
recognised as a competence that should be valued and nurtured within an
education and training context. It sits at the heart of the education and training
2020 strategic framework, which cites innovation and creativity, including
entrepreneurship, as one of its strategic objectives. A sense of initiative and
entrepreneurship is also one of the eight key competences for lifelong learning.

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