Page 90 - 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

awareness of business and start-up support for enterprises and a lack of
awareness of entrepreneurship as a career option.
Consequently, there is a wide recognition of the need for effective training,
guidance and support methods for teachers and guidance professionals. It is
essential that those involved in career guidance and entrepreneurship education
are fully trained and supported and have access to guidance materials to improve
training. In line with the increased emphasis on the importance of practical
entrepreneurial skills of young people, there is a need to equip teachers with the
necessary competences to deliver this type of practical learning.
Generally speaking, there are a range of strategies in place that address
identified training and support needs of VET teachers and guidance counsellors
in the Member States. These strategies differ between countries in terms of their
delivery and content; some focus on the continuing training of teachers while
others place emphasis on skills development at the initial training level.

3.5.1. Continuing professional development courses
Support for IVET teachers in entrepreneurship is most common within continuing
professional development (CPD). The use of CPD is most prominent due to fact
that the subject matter changes with the economic climate and there is a frequent
need to update skills and knowledge. Examples of continuing training
opportunities for VET teachers were found in Bulgaria, Hungary, Iceland,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. As an
example, the Hungarian National Institute of Vocational and Adult Education
(NSZI), which is an independent research and policy body, provides a course on
teaching entrepreneurship for VET teachers. The course covers several subject
areas including entrepreneurial competences, the development of business plans
and the use of kinaesthetic teaching pedagogies. Such courses are also
available in Spain, where courses designed specifically for VET teachers include
development of transversal skills alongside entrepreneurship education. In the
UK (Northern Ireland) there are plans to introduce policies to develop the
knowledge and skills of careers advisers to promote entrepreneurship.
A good example of a training programme on entrepreneurship for guidance
professionals and school teachers can be found from the municipality of Botkyrka
in Sweden: it is one of the few examples where centrally coordinated training on
entrepreneurship is provided to both guidance professionals and teachers.
Although similar initiatives have been introduced in other parts of the country, the
Botkyrka example differs from others in that it is centrally coordinated by the
municipality authorities, increasing the number of schools that the programme
can reach.

84