Hillis welcomes European Commission policies on encouraging entrepreneurs
Ulster Unionist Spokesperson on European Affairs, Norman Hillis, has commended the European Commission on its recent announcement of a recommendation aimed at enhancing the role of education in fostering an entrepreneurial culture in European countries.
The recommendation includes eight key competencies which the Commission believed should be instilled into young people throughout Europe from an early age.
In a statement, the East Londonderry MLA said: “It is important that countries across the EU encourage their young people to develop skills such as taking initiatives, being responsible, accepting risk and achieving one’s own objectives. If the European Union is to sustain its economic model it needs more economic growth, more new firms, more entrepreneurial ventures and more high growth SMEs.
“Education is positively linked with higher entrepreneurial activity. For example, some evidence shows that around 20% of participants in mini-company activities in secondary school go on to create their own company after their studies.
“There are already examples from several countries in the EU which include entrepreneurship in education. For example the ‘Young Inventors Competition’ targets children from 6-16 and encourages them to be creative with ideas. In Luxembourg they have a programme aimed at 11 to 12 year olds which is devoted to children learning to exploit a simple business idea.
“Those are just a few examples. Throughout the education system, from primary to university, there are programmes to encourage entrepreneurship.
“We in the Ulster Unionist Party welcome these new European initiatives and call for them to be integrated immediately into the education system in Northern Ireland” concluded Mr Hillis.