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Commission plans to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs

The Commission has put forward recommendations designed to promote business spirit in Europe's schools and universities, and inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs. The recommendations form part of the Commission's strategy to create growth and jobs. Under the strategy, in...

The Commission has put forward recommendations designed to promote business spirit in Europe's schools and universities, and inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs. The recommendations form part of the Commission's strategy to create growth and jobs. Under the strategy, in November 2005, eight key competencies were identified which all EU citizens should possess in order to prosper in a knowledge economy, including entrepreneurship. Commission Vice-President responsible for Enterprise and Industry, Günter Verheugen, said that in order to encourage young Europeans to become the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, what is needed is 'a systematic approach to entrepreneurship education at all levels, from the primary school to university'. Therefore, the Commission sets out what schools should be doing to develop basic entrepreneurial awareness and skills in children from an early age and, at a later stage, what universities can do to make entrepreneurship an important part of the curriculum. According to the Commissioner for Education and Culture, Ján Figel': 'Entrepreneurship as a competence refers to an individual's ability to turn ideas into action. It includes taking initiatives, being responsible, accepting risks and achieving one's own objectives.' In particular, the Commission recommends that, at every stage, school curricula should explicitly include entrepreneurship as an objective of education. Schools should be given support and incentives to encourage the take up of programmes, teachers and heads should be provided with training, and cooperation between schools and the local community, particularly businesses, should be encouraged. The Commission provides a number of examples of good practice in the promotion of business spirit in schools, but in particular it argues that the use of student 'mini-company' schemes should be further promoted. Roughly 15 per cent of secondary schools in the EU are already involved in such activities, and the Commission says that around 20 per cent of participants in school mini-companies go on to create their own company. Turning to higher education, the Commission would like to see entrepreneurship integrated across different courses, particularly within scientific and technical subjects. Teacher mobility between universities and businesses should also be encouraged, together with the involvement of business people in teaching. Networks should also be developed to allow universities to share good practice. As well as entrepreneurship, other key competencies that the Commission will seek to promote as part of its Growth and Jobs strategy include basic maths, science and technology skills and digital competence, as well as horizontal components such as creativity and critical thinking.