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

research training and lifelong learning strategies for university staff (European
Commission, 2006b).
Finally, the Europe 2020 Strategy outlines the Commission’s commitment to
strengthening links between education, business, research and innovation. It also
urges Member States to focus school curricula on creativity, innovation, and
entrepreneurship (European Commission, 2010b).

2.1.2. EU policy linked to guidance and entrepreneurship
An important part of supporting ‘a sense of initiative and entrepreneurship’ (Key
competences for lifelong learning) is ensuring entrepreneurship education
teaches young people and other individuals skills that allow them to manage their
careers, identify their strengths and weaknesses and know where to obtain
career and business information. It is increasingly recognised that to foster
sustainable entrepreneurship, there must be greater provision of guidance and
advice in entrepreneurship education and in the career management and
development of entrepreneurs and the self-employed. Starting up an own
business can be a daunting prospect for an individual and access to even the
most basic guidance and support (such as help in finding out where to go to get
advice on venture capital) can make a significant difference to an individual’s
self-confidence and motivation.
Despite widespread recognition of the importance of guidance throughout life
and lifelong learning, European policies rarely refer to the role that lifelong
guidance can play in entrepreneurship learning or in the development of career
management skills of entrepreneurs in the EU. For example the 2004 Council
resolution on strengthening policies, systems and practices in the field of
guidance throughout life in Europe (Council of the European Union, 2004) does
not mention entrepreneurship at all.
One of the exceptions is the 2008 Council Resolution on better integrating
lifelong guidance into lifelong learning strategies, which states that guidance
plays a decisive role in the major decisions that individuals take throughout their
lives (Council of the European Union, 2008b). This can help to empower
individuals to manage their own career paths within the context of their own
personal situation and the labour market, as well as support them in achieving a
better balance between their personal and professional lives. The resolution
identifies four priority areas, one of which is to ‘encourage the lifelong acquisition
of career management skills’, which includes the key competences ‘sense of
initiative’ and ‘entrepreneurship’.
The International Labour Organisation, as part of its 2004 Recommendation
concerning human resources development: education, training and lifelong

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