Are entrepreneurs born or become? An answer to this question was provided by the EU in 2016, creating EntreComp. For the first time, entrepreneurship is recognized as a competence and specifically one of the 8 key competencies needed for all members of a knowledge-based society.
Being an entrepreneur is therefore a value, because it refers to specific skills that can be acquired or improved to take advantage of them in one’s work and succeed as a professional.
The EntreComp framework consists of 3 macro areas, each area consists of 5 competencies and together they make up the 15 key competencies of entrepreneurship. Want to know what they are and more importantly what your level is for each one? Here’s everything you need to know about EntreComp and the key competencies!
What is EntreComp
EntreComp (Entrepreneurship Competences) is the European reference framework for entrepreneurial competencies, divided into 3 macro areas composed of 15 key competencies, developing 60 thematic priorities and 442 learning outcomes.
This is a framework developed by the EU in 2016 as part of the New Skills Agenda for Europe. Within it, entrepreneurship understood as a competence is defined as the ability to act on opportunities and ideas to create value for others. The value created can be social, cultural or financial.
The purpose of EntreComp
EntreComp’s main goal is to establish a common language that bridges the worlds of education and work. This approach allows entrepreneurship to be understood as a key competence, fundamental to professional and personal development.
EntreComp also aims to identify specific competencies that can be developed through training pathways, promoting a general consensus among the various stakeholders-such as educators, employers and institutions-about the expected outcomes and levels of competence to be achieved at various stages of learning.
In this way, EntreComp supports learning, incentivizing value creation and improving the synergy between education and the world of work.
The EntreComp framework
The EntreComp framework includes 15 competencies of equal importance. There are no basic or advanced competencies, but they are all equally important. These are divided into 3 main areas, namely Action, Ideas and Opportunities and Resources, each with specific competencies.
The three EntreComp areas
EntreComp has 3 competency areas that represent key skills for developing an entrepreneurial mindset and behavior. Let’s look at them in detail.
- Into action. This area concerns the ability to manage uncertainty and risk by adapting to change. It includes skills such as project management, risk-taking, perseverance and the ability to learn from experience. It is essential for turning ideas into successful initiatives and for continuous improvement.
- Ideas and Opportunities. This area covers the ability to identify, develop and exploit new ideas and opportunities. It includes skills such as creativity, vision, opportunity analysis, the ability to assess the potential of ideas, and ethical and sustainable thinking. It is critical to generating innovation and finding effective solutions to problems.
- Resources. Finally, this area focuses on the ability to mobilize and manage the resources needed to turn ideas into concrete actions. It includes skills related to financial management, mobilizing human and material resources, and building support networks. It also includes awareness and the ability to enhance one’s own capabilities and those of others.
Together, these three areas provide a comprehensive framework for the development of entrepreneurial skills that can be applied in various contexts, from education to the world of work, promoting a widespread and sustainable entrepreneurial culture.
Top 15 EntreComp Skills
Within each area we have just seen are 5 key competencies for a total of 15 EntreComp guidance competencies.
Let’s start with the competencies of the Into Action area.
- Initiative: i.e., the ability to proactively take action. It includes the ability to take initiative and act independently.
- Planning and management: the skill in strategic planning and project management. It involves the ability to set goals, plan activities, and manage time and resources.
- Uncertainty, ambiguity and risk management: that is, the ability to deal with uncertainty and manage risks effectively. It includes the ability to make informed decisions and adapt to change.
- Working with others: the ability to work effectively in groups. Includes collaboration, communication and conflict management.
- Learning from experience: the ability to learn from experiences, both positive and negative, and to use these lessons to continuously improve and grow.
Let us now turn to the 5 competencies of the Resource area.
- Mobilizing resources: is the ability to identify, obtain and manage the resources needed to turn ideas into reality. It includes financial, human and material resource management.
- Self-awareness and self-efficacy: i.e., awareness of one’s skills, abilities and limitations. It includes the ability to self-assess and continuously improve oneself.
- Motivation and perseverance: that is, the ability to stay motivated and persevere in the face of difficulties and obstacles.
- Mobilization of others: the ability to engage and motivate other people by building support networks and collaborations.
- Economic and financial knowledge: the ability to plan, manage and monitor financial resources effectively and responsibly.
We now finish with the 5 competencies of the Ideas and Opportunities area.
- Creativity: refers to the ability to develop new and innovative ideas and consists of thinking outside the box and coming up with original solutions.
- Vision: refers to the ability to envision a better future and outline long-term goals. It includes the ability to inspire and motivate others toward a common vision.
- Recognizing opportunities: i.e., the ability to identify opportunities and possibilities for improvement. It includes the ability to observe the environment and identify unmet needs or problems to be solved.
- Giving value to ideas: that is, the ability to analyze and evaluate the potential of ideas, considering factors such as feasibility, impact and risk.
- Ethical and sustainable thinking: refers to the ability to consider the ethical and sustainability implications of one’s actions and decisions. It includes social and environmental responsibility.
Together, the competencies found in the EntreComp framework form the building blocks of entrepreneurship. Certainly, however, one needs to know how to use the EntreComp framework by following areas and competencies.
How to use EntreComp
You can use EntreComp for different purposes and in different contexts. Among them, you can:
- Stimulate interest in entrepreneurship by raising awareness of basic skills through courses and training programs;
- Recognize and improve mastery levels of entrepreneurial skills through training and professional development coaching activities;
- Certify and validate entrepreneurial competence levels, taking into account the methodologies and approaches already used at the European level.
EntreComp offers a detailed and versatile framework for developing entrepreneurial skills in various contexts. Using it, educators, trainers, entrepreneurs, professionals and policymakers can promote a more dynamic and future-oriented education, enhancing the ability of individuals to create value and meet the challenges of the modern world. Just use the specific tool of the Training Design Canvas.
EntreComp’s Training Design Canvas
EntreComp’s Training Design Canvas is a tool for designing training courses based on the EntreComp Competency Framework for Entrepreneurship and Workplace Empowerment. It is useful for trainers (V.E.T. trainers) facilitators, coaches and mentors working in different settings such as vocational training institutions, incubators, accelerators, Co-working, Creative Hubs, etc.
The Canvas is structured around 7 key dimensions.
- Training Goals: in this section of the Canvas, we define the specific, measurable goals for course participants to achieve, i.e., what do you want your participants to know or be able to do at the end of the training?
- Target Audience: who are the people who will attend your course? How many? In this section we identify the characteristics of the target audience, such as level of prior knowledge, skills, and motivations.
- Learning Contents, Structure, Tools and Methodology: what will be taught in the course to achieve the training objectives? How will the course be organized? With what tools and methodologies will the content be delivered? In this section you define the structure of the training course, duration, time scanning of the content, the most suitable teaching techniques and tools.
- Communications Strategies: how will you promote the course? With what language?
- External Connection: are external collaborations planned?
- Learning Impacts: this involves defining the long-term effects that the training is hoped to have. What behavioral or professional changes are expected from the participants?
- Evaluation Plan: how will learning be evaluated? With what tools?
Canvas provides a framework for designing training courses that are engaging, effective and results-oriented, while still being able to rely on an Italian EntreComp Italia community.
The EntreComp community
EntreComp community is the gourp dedicated to EntreComp that carries out several activities, including:
- Organize events and workshops on topics related to entrepreneurship and EntreComp;
- Promote the EntreComp framework among different Italian entities, such as schools, universities, training institutions and companies;
- Develop resources and tools to support learning and teaching of EntreComp skills;
- Networking among the different actors working in the field of entrepreneurship in Italy.
In addition to the website, the EntreComp community is also present on social media.
Assess your entrepreneurial skills
The EntreComp framework enables you to understand what is meant by entrepreneurship as a key competence for lifelong learning so you can use it effectively in your work.
But do you know your entrepreneurial level? Do you want to improve the most useful and effective skills?
Then fill out this self-assessment test to recognize your strengths and weaknesses.
