Twelve participants from nine countries (Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Romania and Spain) met at Tknika in the Basque Country, Spain, to share and discuss their innovative approaches in Entrepreneurship in the framework of the Bridging Innovation and Learning in TVET (BILT) project. In the course of two days, nine European implementation examples relating to Entrepreneurship in TVET were presented, with additional framing and context provided by representatives of Spanish industry.

Tackling TVET challenges related to Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship has been one of the areas of focus for UNESCO-UNEVOC, as defined in UNESCO’s TVET Strategy (2016-2021) as well as in UNESCO-UNEVOC’s Medium Term Strategy II (2018-2020). UNESCO-UNEVOC has been coordinating a series of consultations on entrepreneurial learning in TVET involving UNEVOC Centres and other TVET partners, to discuss the challenges of mainstreaming entrepreneurial learning throughout TVET systems.

The participants to the BILT workshop on Entrepreneurship in TVET discussed and analyzed innovative implementation approaches from within and outside the UNEVOC Network that deal with current challenges related to

• mainstreaming entrepreneurship in the TVET ecosystem,
• introducing innovative pedagogical models, and
• preparing and supporting teachers.

For each presented example, participants were able to discuss the added value of the approaches, their impact on curriculum and standards, and their transferability to other country contexts. These examples will inform further activities within the UNEVOC Network, both within Europe, and in the forthcoming collaboration with Africa, and Asia and the Pacific.

Key findings

The innovative examples presented during the workshop commonly demonstrated evidence of long-term planning and support from amongst a diverse range of TVET stakeholders in order to create conditions for success. A close engagement between industry and TVET institutions provided increased opportunities for upskilling and practical experiences for teachers, allowing them to stay aware of the latest trends and developments in their areas of focus.

Several examples covered the changing role of teachers as they become more mentors, which necessitates changes including a new ‘whole institutional approach’ or ‘community of practice’ that are evidence of the changing relationship between learners and teachers in entrepreneurship. As also seen in other BILT thematic work streams, partnerships between a range of stakeholders, combined with the flexibility in training systems and curricula, were enabling factors for success.

The workshop on Entrepreneurship in TVET was the third of five within the UNESCO-UNEVOC’s Bridging Innovation and Learning in TVET (BILT) project, which focus on the thematic areas of Greening, Digitalization/Industry 4.0, Entrepreneurship, Migration, and New Qualifications and Competencies. The BILT project aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences and peer learning across the European UNEVOC Network within these thematic work streams.

For more information about the workshop on Entrepreneurship and TVET, please consult the workshop agenda and participants overview.