Entrepreneurship Education for Migrants as a Path to Social Inclusion

The important role of entrepreneurship education has been widely acknowledged. From the European Commission's Green Paper on Entrepreneurship in Europe in 2003 to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of United Nations, its importance for developing citizens' entrepreneurial capacity has been emphasized, as adequate entrepreneurial skills, knowledge, and abilities can benefit the society as a whole. Besides, for specific population groups, such as migrants, the development of an entrepreneurial culture and entrepreneurial skills could have additional multiplier effects on themselves and the economies where they live in and operate. Although Europe has always been a pole of attraction for migrants, they continue to face serious socio-economic problems, such as high rates of unemployment. Their labor market integration consists a policy priority in the EU whether it is paid employment or self-employment. Although, there is a tend immigrants to show an entrepreneurial spirit in host societies, in many cases the results of their business endeavor are not the expected ones. Besides, the growing complexity of the entrepreneurial world requires the novice entrepreneur to be resilient, creative, and open-minded. At this point, the role of entrepreneurship education has to be stressed out since it does not only help them earn a sustainable income, but also it helps them gain skills and competences which can play an important role in terms of their social inclusion in the host societies. Entrepreneurial competence is one of the Key Competences for Lifelong Learning, setting out some skills necessary to work and live in the 21st Century, contributing besides employability also to personal development and active citizenship. This paper focuses on the European Union's recent policies and initiatives related to entrepreneurship education for migrants.