Letters of Endorsement

Small and large businesses, top higher institutions and international organisations across Europe are endorsing the Entrepreneurial Skills Pass by engaging their human capital and expertise, sponsoring JA mini-companies in schools and/or opening a door to further opportunities.

Some institutions are also providing letters where they explain the added-value of the ESP and why they support the initiative. Have a look below for further information:

Stefan Crets, Executive Director, CSR Europe

“What can better prepare young professionals for the job market than a test of their abilities in a safe environment, supported by trained educators and experienced business volunteers?... We recognise that the ESP offers a unique opportunity for young people to gain the skills and expertise necessary to excel in today's job market, while providing businesses with the skilled and driven professionals that they need…” Read More

Eric Cornuel, Director General & CEO, EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development)

"EFMD believes that entrepreneurial mind-sets and competences can be fostered through hands-on, real-world learning, and project work. Mini-company schemes such as the JA Company Programme and the ESP are a fine example of good practice for schools". Read More

Thomas Mayr, ibw Austria, Member of the European Qualification Framework Advisory Group (representing UEAPME)

“…different findings show that participation in practical entrepreneurial learning at school is low and that more needs to be done to develop the entrepreneurial skills of young people. The Entrepreneurial Skills Pass aims at filling this gap. It offers teachers the opportunity to facilitate an active learning experience through well designed and ready to use learning materials in combination with a real entrepreneurial activity by students in a mini company…” Read More

Arnaldo Abruzzini, Chief Executive Officer, EUROCHAMBRES

“…the ESP equips young people to enter the job market and/or start their own business. Achieving Europe's ambitions requires education to also focus on developing transversal skills and entrepreneurial mind-sets. It also necessitates that education, business and policy-makers collaborate more." Read More

Eszter Salamon, President, European Parents Association

“Active, engaged parents are aware that certain key competences, that are not built during traditional formal education, are more important for future success, than others that are emphasised in schools today. Entrepreneurial skills, not only in the sense of establishing their own enterprise, but to take initiative in general, are the most difficult to develop in a traditional school context, so Entrepreneurial Skills Pass is a perfect tool to support this in nontraditional setting, but still within formal education…” Read More

Madlen Serban, Director, European Training Foundation

“The recognition of entrepreneurial experience through the Entrepreneurial Skills Pass (ESP) is an important reference for national education systems as they accommodate the EU recommendations for better promotion of entrepreneurship through education and training. Getting entrepreneurship competencies embedded into qualification frameworks and the implications for curriculum, assessment and the teaching and learning dynamic, is the next challenge”. Read More

Peter Adamišin, Vice-Rector for University Development, Information Technologies and Quality Assurance, University of Prešov, Slovakia

"The University of Prešov is fully aware that acquiring basic entrepreneurial skills contributes to the acceleration of job creation and developmental processes in the Presov Region. The Entrepreneurial Skills Pass is a major step in this direction". Read More