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

(Sultana, 2009) has proposed the following definition: ‘Career management skills
refer to a whole range of competences which provide structured ways for
individuals and groups to gather, analyse, synthesise and organise self,
educational and occupational information, as well as the skills to make and
implement decisions and transitions.’

1.2.5. Guidance
In this study guidance is understood as a broad framework of support. The
Council of the European Union’s definition of guidance refers to services
designed to assist individuals of any age to make occupational, training and
educational choices and to manage their careers (Council of the European
Union, 2004). It covers individual and collective activities relating to information-
giving, counselling, competence assessment, support, and the teaching of
decision-making and career management skills.
Guidance in the context of entrepreneurship can be provided by three groups
of individuals:
• formal guidance is provided by trained career guidance counsellors and other
guidance professionals. Such professionals can work at: education and
training institutions; business support bodies; private organisations; public
authorities, such as the public employment services (PES); chambers of
commerce; and associations representing entrepreneurs;
• non-formal guidance refers to information, advice and support provided by
individuals with significant support in business formation. This includes:
business coaches; mentors; senior managers of companies and other
experienced business professionals; experienced and successful
entrepreneurs; and former (i.e. retired) entrepreneurs;
• informal guidance covers guidance and other support given by family
members, colleagues and peers.

1.3. Analytical framework

Guidance is a broad framework for different support mechanisms and can be
provided through formal, non-formal and informal channels. Taking into account
the guidance context, the following analytical framework describes the different
forms of guidance relationships and activities that have been analysed as part of
this study (see Figure 2).

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