Putting the Young in Business: Policy Challenges for Youth Entrepreneurship. Territorial Development. LEED Notebook No. 29

This Book Sets Out A Potential Response To Two Major Challenges Facing Oecd Countries: The Youth Problem, Or The Need To Ensure That Young People Can Play A Full Role In Society, And The Need To Foster Entrepreneurship For Job Creation, Innovation And Economic Adaptability. The New Economy Will Be Built On A Culture Of Entrepreneurship And This Must Include Youth As Well As Adults. In Publishing This Book, The Oecd Therefore Wishes To Stimulate Policy Debate On The Factors That Encourage Youth Entrepreneurship, The Obstacles That Stand In Its Way And The Policy Measures That Can Support It. A Picture Is Painted Of Youth Entrepreneurship Programmes Operating At National, Regional And Local Levels Across The Oecd In A Wide Variety Of Settings And With Various Different Approaches And Delivery Mechanisms. The Result Is The First International Review Of Best Practices In This New And Emerging Area. Examples Are Given Of Programmes For Education And Training, Help With Capital, Ideas And Operational Matters, Counselling And Mentoring, Networking And Intergenerational Transfers Of Businesses. The Range Of Players And Activities Involved Are Set Out And Suggestions Are Made For Where Gaps Might Be Filled. The Main Message Is That Young People Can Indeed Found New Businesses And Succeed, But New Policies Will Be Needed If They Are To Be Fully Encouraged. Preface -- Chapter 1. Issues And Questions -- -unemployed Youth: The Core Problem -- National Situations Differ: Some Examples -- Contrasting Policy Approaches -- Towards A Definition Of Self-employment -- The State Of Entrepreneurship And Attitudes Towards It In The Oecd Area -- Concluding Remarks -- Chapter 2. Emerging Programme Approaches To Youth Entrepreneurship -- -introduction -- Some Comparative Country Surveys -- Some Other Best Practice Examples -- International Youth Business Networks -- Chapter 3. Education, Training, And Youth Entrepreneurship: An Analysis -- Introduction -- Two Definitions -- Teaching Teachers -- Teaching Entrepreneurship In Primary, Secondary, And Tertiary Institutions -- Chapter 4. Conclusions And Some Policy Suggestions -- -the Principle Conclusions -- Somepolicy Suggestions -- Notes -- Bibliography Includes Bibliographic References (p. 101-103) Policies and practices promoting youth entrepreneurship in Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) member countries were reviewed. Special attention was paid to the following issues: youth unemployment; contrasting employment situations and policy approaches in individual OECD countries; a definition of self-employment; and the state of entrepreneurship and attitudes toward it in OECD countries. Emerging program approaches to youth entrepreneurship were examined. Special attention was paid to "best practice" examples and international youth business networks. The issues of teaching teachers, teaching entrepreneurship at all levels (primary, secondary, and tertiary), and entrepreneurship training were also discussed. It was concluded that although youth unemployment is a highly intractable problem affecting all OECD member countries, globalization and other factors are causing economic development strategies to become increasingly local and regional. It was further concluded that entrepreneurial activity is a complex process whose outcome depends on a number of factors that are either not economic or only tangentially economic. The following policy suggestions were offered: (1) the field must become more institutionalized; (2) more program evaluation is needed; (3) more cooperative connections with other schools are required; and (4) young entrepreneurs need more networks and support groups among themselves. (Twelve figures/tables/boxes are included. The bibliography lists 31 references.) (MN)