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

3.5.5. Initial teacher training
Fewer examples of policies and practices to strengthen the initial training of VET
teachers in terms of entrepreneurship were identified. It is, however, embedded
in initial teacher training in Cyprus, Finland, France, Iceland, Norway and
Sweden. A new method of teacher training was introduced in 2007 in France and
from this point onwards, teachers have been required to have experience of the
world of enterprise. Individuals training to be teachers are obliged to complete an
internship of at least three weeks in a company as part of their training. After
getting a job in a vocational education institution (lycée professionnel), teachers
also have to complete another internship of three weeks in a company. This
internship focuses on links between school and enterprise, and ends with the
‘design of pedagogical tools’ (European Commission, 2010a).

3.6. Summary assessment of the role of guidance in

IVET

3.6.1. General assessment
This chapter has indicated that a growing number of individual schools and
colleges of initial vocational education and training across Europe are embracing
the concept that the entrepreneurial aspirations of young people can be
influenced. Such institutions are embracing the notion that entrepreneurial skills
and abilities can be developed through education, learning-by-doing and
familiarisation initiatives. Entrepreneurship is not solely about business skills or
starting new ventures, but also a way of thinking. It has been acknowledged that
the entrepreneurship agenda is particularly pertinent for vocational education, as
many vocational occupations have high proportions of self-employment. Further,
there is a great deal of excitement among many vocational schools across
Europe about entrepreneurship.
This chapter has shown that entrepreneurship-oriented guidance in IVET can
play a critical role, through making young people more aware of their
entrepreneurial attributes and skills and encouraging them to see
entrepreneurship as an option for professional life. There are, however, great
differences in the extent to which individual schools, colleges and countries are
taking entrepreneurship forward, and how much they are supported in these
efforts by authorities and companies/entrepreneurs themselves. While, in some
countries, guidance based interventions are embedded in the curriculum, in
others they depend on the enthusiasm, skills and connections of individual

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