The document discusses the importance of entrepreneurship education in Europe. It describes how the European Commission began promoting entrepreneurship education in schools in 1994 to better prepare students for the changing job market. Several strategic plans and policies were introduced over the years, including the Lisbon Strategy in 2000, Education and Training 2010, and Europe 2020, all with the goal of fostering skills like entrepreneurship, innovation, and adaptability. The document advocates for embedding real-world entrepreneurial experiences across all school subjects before students complete compulsory education.

1. EMPOWER STUDENTS WITH ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS
1.1 - Education for
entrepreneurship:a
project originating from
the European
Commission
The evolution of the world and society
presents us continuously numerous
challenges. In the twenty-first century,
these challenges occur faster and more
dynamically. We are the so-called
knowledge society and innovation,
where new challenges arise very quickly
(Capucha & Figueiredo, 2007, p. 13).
Indeed, the company has achieved
values as the welfare, safety , peace,
political and economic stability ,
innovation , communication between
different peoples and cultures , the
success and the industrial and financial
competitiveness.
The idea of integrating a Education for
Entrepreneurship in the European
education system was originated in
1994 by the European Round Table of
Industrialists (ERT) . This group for
education policies expressed its
concerns regarding the strengthening of
global markets and hence the
importance in investing in educational
systems and training of European
citizens, in order to increase its potential
in the industries and in the European
economy.
The ERT warned not only to a gap
between education and training systems
and the real needs of the labor market,
but also to a dissatisfaction of the
students on this very factor, leading to
situations such as early school leavers
and high school failure rates. Factors
such as these would in the long run,
lead to lower professional qualification.
Taking into account that education has
as one of its goals to train future
citizens, this could also cause a general
lack of citizenship and active democratic
participation of European citizens. It
became essential to readjust the
European education systems to the
changing needs of the labor market and
the knowledge society and Information.
1.2 - The Lisbon Strategy and the
Education and Training 2010 Program
As a result, the European Community
expressed its concerns regarding this
issue. In March 2000 the countries of
the European Union (EU) met in the
European Council at the Lisbon Summit.
This meeting was to lay the foundations
and strategic guidelines for progress
and sustainable development of the EU
for the first decade of this century. This
summit resulted in an important
document - the Lisbon Strategy which
defined as a fundamental goal: "Making
Europe the economy based on
knowledge, more dynamic and
competitive in the world by 2010" (p.14).
This goal would be achieved in three
main areas:
1) Ensure sustainable economic growth;
2) More and better jobs;
3) Greater social cohesion.
In this context, 'Education and Training
2010 " which underlined a fundamental
role has been created in the areas of:
ICT, technological culture, foreign
languages, entrepreneurship and social
skills. Following these strategies in 2002
at the Barcelona European Council,
comes the "Work Program" document
that defines and explains the following
key skills for the twenty-first century to
implement the Education and Training
(p.15):
1. "Communicating in the mother
tongue;
2. Communicating in a foreign language;
3. Literacy and basic math skills for
science and technology;

2. EMPOWER STUDENTS WITH ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS
4. Digital competence;
5. Learning to learn;
6. Civic competences and interpersonal
skills;
7. Entrepreneurship;
8. Cultural expression
Thus Entrepreneurship also became
one of the " eight key competences for
learning throughout life " that is
considered to be achieved at the end of
compulsory education. Setting up a
business involves carrying out a variety
of tasks that should be executed by an
entrepreneur. For everything to go
smoothly, the business owner needs to
possess a series of attributes that reflect
the profile of a successful entrepreneur.
Failure is always a possibility when one
sets out on the entrepreneurial road.
However, the probability of failure can
be reduced if the entrepreneur works on
and improves specific factors that are in
his control. So, an entrepreneur must
have a good idea and also carry it out
accordingly in order to correctly develop
it. The degree of how well the job is
done will depend largely on the
motivation, skills, attitudes and
knowledge that the person who wants to
start the venture has.
1.3 - Strategic Plan: Europe 2020
There is no doubt that during the second
decade of this century, has been under
a continuous effort of various European
actors in the search for strategies to be
able to find better solutions in the way of
achieving a Europe of qualified citizens,
an economy more strengthened and a
more active and participatory
citizenship. Thus, the European Union
set a new strategy - Europe 2020 -
Long-term aimed at not only ending the
crisis but also the review of our model of
growth and the creation of conditions
necessary for smart, sustainable and
inclusive growth.
Five main objectives were defined that
the EU should achieve by the end of
2020. The strategy's objectives are
supported by seven flagship initiatives
that serve as a framework for joint
activities of the EU and national
authorities in the following areas:
innovation, the digital economy,
employment, youth, Industrial policy,
poverty and efficient use of resources.
The old continent needs entrepreneurs
and the European Commission is
determined to overcome unemployment
and constraints of SMEs through an
ambitious plan to support
entrepreneurship. “[...] Real world
experience, through problem-based
learning and enterprise links, should be
embedded across all disciplines and
tailored to all levels of education. All
young people should benefit from at
least one practical entrepreneurial
experience before leaving compulsory
education.” (European Commission,
2013, p. 3). This is the Entrepreneurship
2020 Action Plan, which provides a wide
range of initiatives already implemented
starting in 2014, the European Union
and in its Member States. If you are an
entrepreneur or you want to create your
own company, the best is to pay
attention.
References
Capucha, L.;Figueiredo, V. (2007). Guião «Promoção
Empreendedorismo na Escola».
EuropeanCommission(2012). Entrepreneurship
Education at School inEurope. National Strategies,
Curricula and Learning Outcomes. Brussels:Eurydice
Entrepreneurship Education:A Guide for Educators,
EuropeanComission, Bruxelles (2013).
http://ec.europa.eu/
Site: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm