Entrepreneurship Education –

The Erasmus for Young Entpreneurs

Programme

Michaela HAUF

European Commission

Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry

Unit E1 – Entrepreneurship

I Encuentro Internacional de Expertos en Emprendimiento

Santander, 28th November 2011

What is the SBA?

An initiative to further strengthen SMEs’ sustainable growth and competitiveness

A set of politically binding principles

A package of concrete measures (legislative and non-legislative)

An implementation mechanism embedded in the EU 2020 strategy

Objectives:

Improve the overall policy approach to entrepreneurship

Irreversibly anchor the “Think Small First” principle in policy-making

Promote SMEs’ growth by helping them tackle the remaining problems

Background – The Small Business Act

The EU is not fully exploiting its entpreneurial potential:

Only 45% of European citizens would like to be self-employed

(as opposed to 55% of US citizens).

SBA Principle I: Create an environment in which entrepreneurs & family businesses can

thrive & entrepreneurship is rewarded.

Entrepreneurship Education & Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs

Recommendation on key competences of lifelong learning of the European Parliament and the Council (2006): Entrepreneurship a key competence for all

Commission Communication on “Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets” (2006)

Oslo Agenda on Entrepreneurship Education in Europe (2007): A detailed menu of actions

Small Business Act for Europe (2008) EU 2020 strategy: Focus school curricula on

creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship (2010)

Policy Background on Entrepreneurship

What is Entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship

• Refers to an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action • Includes creativity, sense of initiative, innovation and risk-taking • Provides the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives

Benefits

• ‘Skills for life’ • Increased employability • Connecting education and the local economy • Instrument for territorial development and social cohesion • More start-ups • More growth, innovation and jobs

Key competence for EVERYONE

• Make Entrepreneurship Education accessible to every student in every institution.

Entrepreneurship Education in EU Member States – Examples

Denmark and Sweden: An entrepreneurship education strategy was jointly developed by different Ministries

Finland and Norway: Entrepreneurship is already embedded in the national curriculum

Netherlands and UK: Government funded pilot projects in schools (resulting good practice subsequently disseminated)

Spain (Asturias): Secondary school students run import-export mini-companies as part of the regional curriculum

The EU is committed to fostering entrepreneurial mindsets and skills of

young people &

to promote education for entrepreneurship at all levels, from primary school to

university and beyond.

Entpreneurship Education – Ongoing and Planned EU Activities

2009 Commission Call for Proposals on "Entrepreneurial culture of young people and Entrepreneurship Education“ (2 projects still ongoing)

High Level Symposium on “Entrepreneurship Education: Teacher Education as critical success factor”, Budapest 7th-8th April 2011

Organisation of 2 ‘Laboratories’ on teacher education (peer-to-peer learning)

Good practice manual on teacher education in entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship Education – Current Focus: Teachers!

Make entrepreneurship modules “compulsory” for student teachers

When educating teachers, use the same practical methods as teachers will have to develop with students

Create entrepreneurship centres of excellence for peer-to-peer learning and good practice dissemination (based in teacher training institutions)

Develop new methods to assess the acquisition of key competences – like entrepreneurship – by students (if this competence is not assessed, teachers are not motivated)

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs

“.. to facilitate exchange of experiences, learning and networking for new EU entrepreneurs through periods spent at SMEs of experienced entrepreneurs in other EU Member States.”

Fostering of Entrepreneurship and Internationalisation

Competitiveness of Start-up Entrepreneurs and newly established SMEs in the EU

EYE in Practice

Local and national business support

organisations active in business support (e.g.

Chambers of Commerce, Regional

Development Agencies, Innovation Centres…)

• Recruit and assess entrepreneurs • Proactively look for exchanges • Support new entrepreneurs before & during the stay • Promote Erasmus for Entrepreneurs at national, regional and local level • Co-financing of max 90% of eligible costs in accordance with the regulations for Erasmus for Entrepreneurs

Intermediary Organisations

Manage and

promote

Exchanges Between

Entrepreneurs

European Commission – definition of strategic and financial framework

Support Office: day-to-day operational management of the programme

The 4 Steps of an Exchange

Online Application

Matching

Contracting and preparation

Stay abroad

IO

STEP 1: Online application

• Application from NE

(business plan, CV, motivation);

• Application checked by IO;

• HE states interest to participate (CV and motivation);

• File is checked by IO.

NE

HE

How to apply? : www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu

IO

NE

IO

STEP 2: Matching

• Matching of NE and HE with the help of the 2 IOs

STEP 3: Contracting and preparation

• HE, NE and IOs establish agreements;

• NE does pre-departure induction;

• NE receives a grant.

IO HE

NE

IO

HE

STEP 4: Stay abroad

• Duration: 1-6 months;

• On-the-job training, work on concrete projects

• On-site support provided to the NE by the Host IO;

• Reporting about the exchange.

IO

Benefits of New and Host Entrepreneurs

• Get experience & advice from seasoned entrepreneur

• Develop international contacts

• Get knowledge about foreign markets

• Providers, clients, co-venturing opportunities

• Access new skills and innovative knowledge

• Work with a young fresh mind contributing new ideas

• Gain knowledge and intelligence about the foreign markets

• Opportunity to establish a new business partnership with an entrepreneur from another country

Benefits for New Entrepreneurs

Benefits for Host Entrepreneurs

Overall Feedback from Entrepreneurs

Host Entrepreneurs:

New Entrepreneurs:

Feedback from New Entrepreneurs

Feedback from New Entrepreneurs

Feedback from Host Entrepreneurs

Feedback from Host Entrepreneurs

Main Impacts

More start-ups

Reduction in early failure rate

More innovation with existing companies

More companies internationalising

Creation of additional jobs

Further information and Contact • SBA:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/small-business-act/index_en.htm

• Entrepreneurship Education: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/education-training-entrepreneurship/index_en.htm

• Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs : http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/erasmus-entrepreneurs/index_en.htm;

http://www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu/

DG Enterprise and Industry, Unit for Entrepreneurship, michaela.hauf@ec.europa.eu

THANK YOU!