Foreword Today, the question is not whether So what are we waiting for? entrepreneurship skills can be taught or The European Commission has been should be a fully-昀氀edged part of education. supporting teaching entrepreneurship The question is how best to spread and will keep doing so. For example, Foreword by entrepreneurship education and improve the Erasmus+ programme funds highly Tibor it, so that as many young Europeans as innovative projects on mini-companies Navracsics, possible can bene昀椀t from it and gain better in several Member States. My goal is to European Commissioner aptitudes as well as attitudes. build on this and boost entrepreneurship for Education, education for all young Europeans. Culture, Youth and Sport This is why I have made entrepreneurship education the central priority of my work The success of JA alumni is only one to ensure that young people acquire better example showing why entrepreneurship skills and Member States successfully must be promoted as a core educational modernise their education systems. element. If every young pupil has at least Students who do an entrepreneurship one practical entrepreneurial experience course, and especially those who before leaving school, future generations experience hands-on practical activities, will be better decision makers, problem gain skills that help them innovate, solvers and well prepared to enter the communicate, think critically and, most job market. And be more con昀椀dent, importantly, navigate their professional and independent citizens. Thus, we need to social lives. maximise entrepreneurship education at all levels, especially in schools and VET It is important to stress that institutions, to make sure that no pupil is entrepreneurship education is not only excluded from entrepreneurial learning. about promoting start-ups, it is about creative thinking, risk taking and turning JA is one of the leading organisations ideas into action. An entrepreneurial in this 昀椀eld and thanks to its tireless mindset needs to be cultivated from efforts and unmatched expertise, it has a young age. Yet, only 34% of young considerably improved entrepreneurship Europeans have participated in an education in Europe, helping many entrepreneurship class. At the same time, Europeans to develop an entrepreneurial those who take part tend to achieve highly mindset and skills. I encourage you to positive results: they are less likely to drop keep up your efforts to reach an even out of school or become unemployed and greater number of young participants in are more likely to start a business. the future, setting up innovative projects and continuing to expand the network of JA alumni. We count on you, more than ever, to keep on spreading entrepreneurial mentality and skills in the EU. 2 JA EUROPE / Annual Report 2016