To make the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs become a reality, Europe needs to encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship in young people, promoting innovative businesses and encouraging an entrepreneurship culture. We have to pay attention to training to ensure that the educational system offers a real base for new employers to prosper and for people willing to create and manage an SME to acquire the necessary skills to do so.
According to the data published by the Eurobarometer Entrepreneurship in the EU and beyond in September 2009, there are some differences between the European countries regarding education on entrepreneurship promotion. 44% and 53% of the people interviewed in the United Kingdom and Spain stated that the education received at school has had positive influence on the development of key competences Sense of Initiative and Spirit of Enterprise, compared with 33% and 27%, who stated the same in Lithuania and Latvia. It is, therefore, necessary to balance and increase these percentages if we want to successfully reach the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs, encouraging the entrepreneurial mindset and creating a business culture in the SME through education and training.
The ENTRETRAIN project will promote entrepreneurship in the countries where the influence of education and training on the development of the key competences Sense of Initiative and entrepreneurial mindset is lower. At the same time, ENTRETRAIN project will have added value as it develops training material promoting entrepreneurship in the SMEs regarding international business.
Led by Alava Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the project is funded by the European Commission in the framework of Innovation Transference of Leonardo da Vinci Program for Vocational Training and it will be developed in 2011-2013 in a coordinated manner in Spain, United Kingdom, Lithuania and Latvia.