Page 28 - 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

provide support. However, evidence suggests that real value resides in person-
to-person interaction and, while online services within VET/HE can support
entrepreneurial activities, they cannot replace one-to-one support. Role models
and mentors underpin most successful guidance orientated entrepreneurship
programmes; students want to see, and get to know, those who have success
stories to tell. The involvement of entrepreneurs themselves is critical.
Extracurricular activities can serve a dual purpose and are useful where
entrepreneurship is not embedded in curricula. However, the focus should shift
from extra-curricular ‘add-ons’ to a model of education in which entrepreneurship
is embedded in the curriculum itself.
There has also been a real increase in entrepreneurial publicity campaigns
and TV/radio programmes attracting mass audiences; these present ordinary
people pursuing entrepreneurial goals. Despite criticism due to a lack of
assessment of their methods or educational value, these activities have a
significant symbolic value in fostering people’s aspirations, raising awareness
about entrepreneurship, showing ‘ordinary’ people that everyone has the
potential to be an entrepreneur and also presenting lessons about
entrepreneurship.

Key lessons
Business involvement in entrepreneurial initiatives at all levels has been
generally patchy and unstructured. However evidence indicates that there is a
growing interest from companies, entrepreneurs and business professionals in
engaging in entrepreneurial ventures, moving towards the strengthening of links
between education, business, research and innovation desired by the Europe
2020 Strategy. Resources need to be dedicated to identifying, and then
engaging, business, especially business owners, to ensure that their involvement
benefits the entrepreneurship agenda.
A key lesson generated through the dialogue between entrepreneurs and
aspiring entrepreneurs is the fact that there are no linear pathways or privileged
routes that must be taken to achieve one’s career goals, but that pathways can
be diverse and sometimes unexpected.
Many organisations outside mainstream public education have played a key
role over the years in introducing and supporting the entrepreneurship agenda of
VET and HE institutes. Examples include associations representing
entrepreneurs and/or SMEs, or chambers of commerce; the financial investment
made by some such organisations is impressive (e.g. the Nuits de l’Orientation
initiative funded by the French Chambers of Commerce and Industry). The level
of investment afforded can be a proxy for the importance attributed by such

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