Roadmap for Social Entrepreneurship Education in Europe
Across Europe, social entrepreneurship is seen as an important way to address unemployment, social inequality, and environmental challenges. The European Commission’s EntreComp framework recognises entrepreneurship as a key competence for young people. However, in many countries, social entrepreneurship is still not well integrated into education systems.
To better understand this gap, the YSBE Net project partners conducted a needs analysis in six countries: Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania, and Montenegro. The report is based on responses from 179 teachers and youth workers.
What did we learn?
The message is clear. Teachers and youth workers strongly believe that social entrepreneurship can improve young people’s future job opportunities. But they also highlight several challenges:
- Young people are not very aware of these opportunities.
- Practical learning options are limited.
- Many students lack confidence in key areas such as financial literacy, initiative, and perseverance.
Educators are motivated to teach social entrepreneurship. However, they often lack ready-to-use materials, enough time in the curriculum, and practical training.
Another important finding concerns rural areas. Respondents say that young people in rural communities have even fewer opportunities to learn about social entrepreneurship, even though it could help local communities grow and develop.
What happens next?
This research is not just a report. It will directly guide the next steps of the project:
- The development of a new social entrepreneurship course;
- Training programmes for teachers and youth workers;
- An online hackathon and two face-to-face trade fairs where young people can test and develop their ideas.
The goal is to give youth organisations and educators better tools — and young people real opportunities to build skills and confidence.
The full Needs Assessment Report is now available HERE.
About the YSBE Net Project
YSBE Net is a 24-month Erasmus+ project, co-funded by the European Union. The consortium includes JA Romania, JA Cyprus, JA Bulgaria, JA Macedonia, JA Albania, JA Montenegro, and Merci Charity Boutique.
The project aims to strengthen the capacity of youth organisations and schools to deliver practical social entrepreneurship education. It also supports young people in developing key entrepreneurial skills. By combining research, curriculum development, teacher training, and practical events such as hackathons and trade fairs, YSBE Net works to build a stronger ecosystem for social entrepreneurship education in the region.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.