Date of label : 29/10/2024
A group of young individuals, likely students, engaged in a collaborative learning or workshop setting.
Summary
The Entrepreneurship+ Academy equips young people with entrepreneurial skills, knowledge and attitudes, to drive innovation and support local and regional economic development. Using a “learning by doing” methodology, the programme develops entrepreneurship through hands-on training experiences. By building on students' basic knowledge and local context, autonomy is promoted, enabling them to identify opportunities, and create innovative and sustainable solutions that benefit their community and preserve its heritage.
The solutions offered by the Good Practice
The School Entrepreneurship Programme, part of the Albergaria Entrepreneur+ 2020 strategic plan, evolved in 2023 into Entrepreneurship+ Academy under the Albergaria 2030 strategy.
For over 10 years, it has promoted an entrepreneurial culture, developing key skills for citizenship, innovation, creativity, culture, heritage, sustainability, entrepreneurship and employability, through training for teachers and students at all levels of compulsory education.
In 2023, training in financial literacy for secondary and professional education students was introduced. The programme has led to the creation of new companies by young people, many of whom return to the city after university and contribute to its economic development.
To achieve better results, former participants are trained as mentors, to motivate their peers, to monitor outstanding students, and publicise notable outcomes in the municipality's media.
The programme’s focus remains on strengthening Albergaria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, positioning people as drivers of the municipality's economic and social development, and creating ideal conditions for living and entrepreneurship.
Building on the sustainable and integrated urban approach
The Entrepreneurship+ Academy offers training in entrepreneurship, including financial management, marketing, product development, business planning, and financial literacy. It connects students with local NGOs, companies and entrepreneurs for mentoring.
The Academy encourages projects that develop sustainable solutions, such as recycling, renewable energy, urban agriculture, and eco-products. Students explore the use of innovative technologies to solve urban problems, including mobility and health within the context of smart cities. It also helps students develop digital skills to prepare them for modern jobs, including in tech startups, while ensuring equal access to training opportunities.
Through collaborations with local communities, the Academy identifies needs and co-creates solutions. It establishes partnerships with companies, NGOs, parents, the municipality, and schools. This integrated approach ensures that students acquire theoretical knowledge, practical skills and critical awareness about urban challenges.
Students will therefore become entrepreneurial citizens capable of creating innovative and sustainable businesses and solutions, within a balanced and inclusive urban development.
Based on participatory approach
The Academy’s participatory approach is demonstrated through the active collaboration of many stakeholders, which ensures the initiative is relevant, inclusive, and tailored to local needs:
- Students contribute with their ideas and experiences, learning teamwork, decision-making, and resource management.
- Teachers act as advisors, guiding learning and student projects.
- Entrepreneurs provide mentoring, helping students develop business ideas and overcome challenges.
- Parents offer support and encourage participation.
- The Municipality offers strategic and logistical support, facilitating access to public resources and monitoring the programme's community impact.
- Local business associations benefit by presenting real problems for students to solve.
This integrated collaboration combines diverse perspectives and resources, fostering a dynamic learning environment and ensuring a positive, lasting impact on the community.
What difference has it made?
In 2014, recognising Albergaria-a-Velha’s potential and challenges, it became urgent to create mechanisms that could reinforce local entrepreneurship and guarantee the necessary support for job creation. At that time, entrepreneurship was not taught in schools, and a general lack of motivation among teachers and mentors in the education system was evident.
Over the past 10 years, the Entrepreneurship+ Academy has involved more than 7 021 students, 1 028 teachers, 17 schools, 16 NGOs and 80 mentors (entrepreneurs and institutions).
Students presented a total of 890 projects, averaging 89 annually.
Mentoring programmes were held with entrepreneurs or members of local associations for the finalist teams in the ideas contest to develop their projects.
The city of Albergaria-a-Velha follows the motto “People First”, focusing on job creation and education, and in this sense the aim is to retain human capital and a sense of belonging in the city and local community.
Why this Good Practice should be transferred to other cities
The Entrepreneurship+ Academy programme is relevant to other European cities, because it targets young audiences and promotes 21st-century skills like critical thinking, innovation, and problem solving. By encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset from an early age, the programme prepares young people for a dynamic job market and strengthens long-term local economic development.
The programme directly contributes to:
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG 4 (Quality education), SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth), and SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure).
- The Urban Agenda for the EU.
- The EU Territorial Agenda 2030.
It is aligned with the national Entrepreneurship Education Framework, the National Citizenship Education Strategy, and the national Profile of Students Leaving Compulsory Education. These connections strengthen the programme’s credibility and effectiveness.
The Entrepreneurship+ Academy can be adapted to other contexts in different cities. By analysing local needs, customising content using available resources, promoting inclusion and sustainability, and creating strategic partnerships, the project can be effectively adjusted to meet the specific needs of different communities, to provide a relevant and impactful entrepreneurial education.
One of the activities of the Entrepreneurship+ Academy, the Junior Entrepreneurship Fair, was adapted and transferred to the cities in URBACT’s ONBOARD Educational Innovation Network (Viladecans, Nantes, Poznan, Tallinn and Halmstad).