Key points
Entrepreneurship refers to an individual's ability to turn ideas into action. Entrepreneurial training promotes innovation, creativity and self-confidence. To foster entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning:
- Early start, with the basis for entrepreneurial training and education
- Supplementary entrepreneurial programmes within the national curriculum from primary school to higher education
- Positive and effective cooperation between schools/universities and businesses
- Involvement of teachers benefits their personal development
- The drawing up of educational programmes for entrepreneurship should involve both employers and employees
- Strong involvement and presence of civil society in the learning process
- The importance of female entrepreneurs must be taken into account in schools with the aim of fostering a positive balance between women and men
- Entrepreneurship must be fostered equally amongst disabled persons
- Exchange of best practice is important and progress could be monitored through annual stock-taking conferences organised by the Commission
- Media activities and the image they convey of business are important
- An "Entrepreneurial staircase" can be used as one of several models in the Member States
- The importance of creating one-stop-shops to facilitate the setting-up of companies
- Launch of a European Year for Entrepreneurship upon a proposal by the Commission
- Entrepreneurial mindsets for education and training can play a role in communicating Europe and bringing the EU closer to its citizens