Yearly event to highlight actions on entrepreneurship in schools and training centres

Awareness raising

Those with a responsibility in education and training, pedagogical supervisors, educators, teachers from all education levels (from kindergarten to Higher Education) and training organisations, coaches in specific courses, business representatives (intrapreneurship, …)

Aim: stimulating entrepreneurial spirit,increase and improve entrepreneurship in Flanders by giving a better view on entrepreneurial education in Flanders. Approach: a week event; we encourage all the suppliers of entrepreneurial education in Flanders to organise an event at their school or centre during this week. In that way we try to get extra media attention on entrepreneurial education in Flanders. SYNTRA Flanders is not a training provider but works as the coordinator of this event. The main tasks for STYNTRA Flanders are to highlight all the activities during the week, collect and structure information about these activities on the website, and provide a book to inspire the participants to take action independently.

Yearly Event. One week - in 2009 the week was 9/03/09 - 13/03/09. In 2010 it will be held on 1/03/2010 -5/03/2010

website: www.ondernemersklasseweek.be (in Dutch) brochure: listing of all initiatives within this week. DVD: documentary of actions during the 2009 Edition available in english via http://vimeo.com/5288082

Initially we undertook a Needs Analysis; this study identified low levels of entrepreneurship in Flanders, with the need to change mental attitudes. It also highlighted a second issue, namely evidence of low entrepreneurial spirit. There are already a large number of initiatives on entrepreneurial education availabe, but this market is diffuse and unclear. We saw the need for a clear overview. The Entrepreneurial Class Week brings a scoop on entrepreneurial education problems, motivating all training providers to organise an event during this week, although some activities are arranged a little bit earlier or later than the actual week. Future plans include developing closer contact with teachers who organise their own entrepreneurial education actions; and producing a new inspirational guide which presents entrepreneurial education and training activities throughout the whole academic year.