Fostering Entrepreneurship Intentions: The Role of Entrepreneurship Education

Abstract

To foster economic development, entrepreneurship is a crucial pillar. Young people and especially students are potential entrepreneurs, whereas education is crucial to promote capabilities and to pursue intentions. In this research we study the importance and effect of the personal characteristics of students, the inherent psychological factors, and the influence of education and training to promote entrepreneurial intentions. From our sample of 1750 students, we conclude about the importance of entrepreneurial education to promote entrepreneurial spirit and develop entrepreneurial intentions. Our results highlight the importance of proposing entrepreneurship education, especially to younger girls in regular education but also to older boys in vocational education. In this sense, this research closes a gap in literature by demonstrating that entrepreneurial education is an important aspect to promote entrepreneurial intentions, despite some inherent adverse psychological conditions on these younger students for entrepreneurship development.