The Entrepreneurial Skills Pass

()

Gain Creators / Outcomes

Students participate in a practical entrepreneurship experience through a mini-company activity. They have the possibility to work in a team, to develop and assess new competences such as teamwork, creativity, self-confidence, taking initiative, resourcefulness, perseverance and taking responsibility.
Students have the opportunity to take part in extra-curricular actions like competitions where they can present what they have achieved; the combination of formal and informal learning approaches.
Students learn ‘about’ entrepreneurship, learn ‘for’ entrepreneurship and learn ‘through’ entrepreneurship. Students can officially demonstrate the real training and experience they ‘ve gained that is relevant to the workplace.
Students have a higher possibility to access opportunities offered by small and large businesses, top higher education institutions and international organisations across Europe or to start their own business.

Gains / Needs

Students need to:

Gain real-life skills and competences. They need to be able to generate ideas, turn them into action, work with a team, understand how economics and finance contribute to a project success
Be able to assess their entrepreneurial competences and their progress throughout the year
Be able to certify their skills and knowledge at the end of the year and get access to further opportunities

Target Group

The main target group are the students (15-19 years old) at secondary level. Teachers and other stakeholders can benefit from the results.

Implementation method

The ESP is an initiative built around the Company Programme (JA Europe mini-company experience at secondary level) and backed-up by various institutions, organisations and companies.

Distribution - Through the JA network: local JA offices reach out to schools or teachers to encourage participation in the programme.

Implementation - The programme is delivered in collaboration with teachers and national partners from public and business sector. JA provides training and support for educators and volunteers to deliver the programme in the classroom.

The Entrepreneurial Skills Pass

The Entrepreneurial Skills Pass (ESP) is an international qualification that certifies that students (15-19 years old), who have had a real entrepreneurship experience, hold the necessary knowledge, competences and skills to start a venture of their own or be successfully employed.

ESP consists of three key elements:

Activities

Students need to participate in the 3 main components of the ESP:

JA Company Programme
Take the self-assessment
Participate in the final exam

Resources

Manpower: Teachers and business volunteers involved in delivering the Company Programme and preparing the students for the final exam.

Funding: Funds for implementation of the 3 ESP components, train teachers, business volunteers and funding to cover the fee for students taking the final exam.

Curricula , training and support for educators & business volunteers:

Company Programme Education Kit: Guide for teachers, Guide for Business Volunteers, Students’ manual and materials (paper-based or online)
Training session for teachers and volunteers
JA follow-up and support

Pain Relievers / Solutions

Students receive an international certificate that clearly describes the competences and skills that they have learned that year.
The results of the tests can be compared across countries which will gradually raise the quality bar for the next generation of students.
The ESP offers further opportunities for young people who have demonstrated to be competent .
The issue of reaching more young people year on year is greatly aided by the fact that the ESP is delivered online and there is a network supporting it.

Pains / Challenges

There is a gap between education and the business world.
Young people struggle to demonstrate their skills and experience to potential employers and get employment or internship opportunities..
There is no common assessment for what students learn in mini-company experiences. Young people do not have a certification to demonstrate the skills and competences they learn in such programme
The implementation of the Company Programme itself is not harmonised and it may vary from country to country.
Every year many young people take part in the Company Programme but in a highly mobile workforce, international recognition of their learning is lacking.

Additional information: Teachers and other stakeholders can benefit from the results of ESP as it serves as a tool to assess impact and effectiveness of this kind of education across multiple countries and, in the long run, it can help encourage more young people to choose entrepreneurship education opportunities at school. To better understand the benefits of ESP for each target group have a look HERE.

In addition to the learning experience, the ESP gives young people the evidence they need to demonstrate the real training and experience they’ve gained that is relevant to the workplace. Something that they can show to potential employers or put on their e-profile.

ESP holders have the possibility to access further opportunities offered by small and large businesses, top higher education institutions and international organisations across Europe who recognise the ESP as a competitive advantage for young people pursuing further education, entering the world of work or starting a venture on their own.

For further information see the Case Study drafted by the Joint Research Center in the report 'Entrepreneurship Competence: An Overview of Existing Concepts, Policies and Initiatives' available HERE.

Your rating