Entrepreneurship Education Strategy in Denmark

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Gain Creators / Outcomes

One single responsible player on the entrepreneurship education area cooperating and in line with the objectives of important stakeholders: ministries, local authorities, educational institutions on all levels, teachers, and business sector. The organisation has professional capacity on all educational levels and research capacity on the area which allows mapping and impact measurement of entrepreneurship education on all levels in Denmark.

The work of FFE is backed by the 2012 innovation strategy which has a focus on innovation as a basic element in all educations. This will help to change mind-sets in the school system and ultimately result in more innovative employees and more young people choosing an entrepreneurial career path.

One single responsible player on the entrepreneurship education area cooperating and in line with the objectives of important stakeholders: ministries, local authorities, educational institutions on all levels, teachers, and business sector. The organisation has professional capacity on all educational levels and research capacity on the area which allows mapping and impact measurement of entrepreneurship education on all levels in Denmark.

The work of FFE is backed by the 2012 innovation strategy which has a focus on innovation as a basic element in all educations. This will help to change mind-sets in the school system and ultimately result in more innovative employees and more young people choosing an entrepreneurial career path.

Gains / Needs

  • There is a need for further initiatives and development within entrepreneurship education in schools through advice /guidance and funding.
  • A national knowledge centre with expert knowledge on all areas within entrepreneurship education can be an important driver at the national level.
  • Alignment and monitoring of efforts on the area should be measured as gaining knowledge about the effects and what works helps to improve.
  • A continuous effort embracing all educational levels from ABC to PhD and coordinating national/international cooperation on the area need to be in place as this will ensure a better penetration in the education system and produce higher impact.

  • There is a need for further initiatives and development within entrepreneurship education in schools through advice /guidance and funding.
  • A national knowledge centre with expert knowledge on all areas within entrepreneurship education can be an important driver at the national level.
  • Alignment and monitoring of efforts on the area should be measured as gaining knowledge about the effects and what works helps to improve.
  • A continuous effort embracing all educational levels from ABC to PhD and coordinating national/international cooperation on the area need to be in place as this will ensure a better penetration in the education system and produce higher impact.

Target Group

Policy makers at the national level

Policy makers at the national level

Implementation method

  • Through meetings with representatives from relevant ministries, webinars, etc.
  • Through international cooperation.
  • By being visible in the media and at relevant venues.

  • Through meetings with representatives from relevant ministries, webinars, etc.
  • Through international cooperation.
  • By being visible in the media and at relevant venues.

Implementation/Organisation of the Entrepreneurship Education Strategy in Denmark

A large-scale Danish strategy on entrepreneurship education was launched in 2010. Entrepreneurship education was implemented in curricula on all educational levels, the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship (FFE) was established as a main national actor on the area, and a four-ministerial partnership (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education and Science, Ministry of Culture, and Ministry of Business and Growth) was set up to collaborate with FFE and to start activities to ensure implementation of the strategy. Today FFE functions as the national knowledge centre on the area (see more info below).

FFE has followed up the 2010 strategy with a new 5-year strategy (2015-20) for its work. Apart from spreading entrepreneurship education in the Danish education system, new focus areas are: ensuring the quality of entrepreneurship education and focusing on catalysing activities.

The 2010 strategy was followed up at the national level by an innovation strategy in 2012 which continues focusing on the same areas. However, the strategy started to focus more on students as resources of innovation, while they are still in the education system, rather than only focusing on innovation coming from researchers, because students sometimes have a better link to companies than researchers have. The innovation strategy 2012 is promoting a cultural shift in the education sector: to make entrepreneurship in education mainstream, that is go from “education in entrepreneurship” (stand-alone topic) to “entrepreneurship in education” (entrepreneurship embedded). 

A large-scale Danish strategy on entrepreneurship education was launched in 2010. Entrepreneurship education was implemented in curricula on all educational levels, the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship (FFE) was established as a main national actor on the area, and a four-ministerial partnership (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education and Science, Ministry of Culture, and Ministry of Business and Growth) was set up to collaborate with FFE and to start activities to ensure implementation of the strategy. Today FFE functions as the national knowledge centre on the area (see more info below).

FFE has followed up the 2010 strategy with a new 5-year strategy (2015-20) for its work. Apart from spreading entrepreneurship education in the Danish education system, new focus areas are: ensuring the quality of entrepreneurship education and focusing on catalysing activities.

The 2010 strategy was followed up at the national level by an innovation strategy in 2012 which continues focusing on the same areas. However, the strategy started to focus more on students as resources of innovation, while they are still in the education system, rather than only focusing on innovation coming from researchers, because students sometimes have a better link to companies than researchers have. The innovation strategy 2012 is promoting a cultural shift in the education sector: to make entrepreneurship in education mainstream, that is go from “education in entrepreneurship” (stand-alone topic) to “entrepreneurship in education” (entrepreneurship embedded). 

Activities

  • Set up an organisation with professional and research capacity on entrepreneurship education.
  • Ensure support from the ministerial level and from many different stakeholders.
  • Set up a continuous cooperation with ministries, local authorities and other stakeholders.

  • Set up an organisation with professional and research capacity on entrepreneurship education.
  • Ensure support from the ministerial level and from many different stakeholders.
  • Set up a continuous cooperation with ministries, local authorities and other stakeholders.

Resources

  • Professional and research staff on the area.
  • Long-term financial support and other backing from government level.
  • Support from engaged stakeholders.

  • Professional and research staff on the area.
  • Long-term financial support and other backing from government level.
  • Support from engaged stakeholders.

Pain Relievers / Solutions

  • One player covering implementation on all levels of education ensures that efforts are aligned and followed up through mapping and impact assessment.
  • Possibility to develop strong relationships with a broad variety of stakeholders and actively involve them. A broad stakeholder engagement multiplies the spreading of entrepreneurship education and its impact on society.
  • Financial funding from ministries are distributed by FFE to relevant initiatives in schools.

  • One player covering implementation on all levels of education ensures that efforts are aligned and followed up through mapping and impact assessment.
  • Possibility to develop strong relationships with a broad variety of stakeholders and actively involve them. A broad stakeholder engagement multiplies the spreading of entrepreneurship education and its impact on society.
  • Financial funding from ministries are distributed by FFE to relevant initiatives in schools.

Pains / Challenges

  • Scattered efforts on the area of entrepreneurship education which in some instances may depend on a few enthusiastic individuals, on isolated finances etc. and which are not followed up/evaluated or well disseminated.
  • Lack of engaged stakeholders (teachers, public and private sector, politicians, etc.)
  • Lack of financing for development activities on the area.

  • Scattered efforts on the area of entrepreneurship education which in some instances may depend on a few enthusiastic individuals, on isolated finances etc. and which are not followed up/evaluated or well disseminated.
  • Lack of engaged stakeholders (teachers, public and private sector, politicians, etc.)
  • Lack of financing for development activities on the area.

Additional information:

Among FFE’s tasks there are:

  1. Support development and anchoring of entrepreneurship education on educational institutions.
  2. Administration of funding for development of courses and together with institutions develop new learning methods and materials.
  3. Help to develop exams and forms of examination
  4. Develop talent supporting programmes for talented young people who run their own business while being in education
  5. Collect and disseminate knowledge about entrepreneurship education through research, analyses and evaluations
  6. Ensure an international and cross-national dimension in the work to further entrepreneurship education
  7. Develop and co-finance entrepreneurship education strategies in the education system
  8. Support the development of an entrepreneurship education strategy on all levels
  9. Start and support entrepreneurial cultural activities, e.g. venture cup, etc.
  10. Operate structural funding projects

FFE must cooperate with external actors, businesses, local and regional authorities and other stakeholders who can co-finance activities. Different events are a good occasion for businesses to get a contact to students who are interested in entrepreneurship, and vice versa.

The partnership ensures implementation and follow-up on the strategy through continuous discussion of the objectives and means as well as inclusion of external stakeholders. Through annual meetings with FFE and relevant stakeholders to discuss the progress of the process. Together with FFE the partnership agrees on evaluation methods to see whether the strategy succeeds.

For more information, visit http://eng.ffe-ye.dk/ 

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