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

Also, 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 need to be established with
appropriate business people: former students, local entrepreneurs, etc. Such role
models can explain 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 therefore 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.
In the meanwhile, the types of extra-curricula 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 the 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
become 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, and 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, so they 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 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
succeed in a challenging business world. Mentoring between new and
experienced entrepreneurs is one of the most effective ways of equipping novice

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