Lignano Sabbiadoro, 27/06/2024
Today in Lignano Sabbiadoro during the G7 of the Ministries of Education, JA Europe and JA Italy organised a seminar with the presence of Hon. Paola Frassinetti Undersecretary for Education and Merit of the Italian Government outlining a series of policy recommendations for the G7 countries. These actions are necessary and urgent to ensure the next generation is equipped to embrace the opportunities of entrepreneurship and employment.
Speaking at the event, JA Europe CEO Salvatore Nigro said: “We thank the Italian G7 Presidency represented by the Undersecretary for Education and Merit for having participated to our event and listened with great attention to the instances brought by JA with the 7 Points for the G7. This is a unique opportunity to show the European leadership in investing in entrepreneurship education, work readiness and financial literacy while embracing AI.”
The Undersecretary for the Ministry of Education and Merit Frassinetti: “It is crucial to place young people at the center of our educational policies and dedicate significant resources to the development of their skills, including entrepreneurial ones. The seven recommendations of JA Europe represent a well-defined path to ensure that new generations are adequately prepared to face future challenges and seize the opportunities that will arise. The integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and the adoption of innovative practices in the field of environmental sustainability are fundamental to fostering economic growth that is both sustainable and inclusive. With this G7, Italy has demonstrated significant leadership at the European level. I am convinced that, through close collaboration at the national and regional levels, we can make our educational systems more responsive to labor market needs, enhancing and promoting entrepreneurial education, improving job readiness, and strengthening financial literacy. I thank JA Europe for their constant commitment.”
Miriam Cresta CEO of JA Italia, added: “After the G20 experience, we at JA Italy are pleased to also participate in this G7 Education side event to reiterate how entrepreneurial education is central to guiding young people and facilitating the school-to-work transition. Advanced countries, including Italy, must invest in recognized models and make them mandatory in all schools to overcome inequalities.”
According to the OECD’s Missing Entrepreneurs report 2023, there would be 34.1 million more entrepreneurs in the OECD, and 7.5 million in the EU if opportunities were available to all. These individuals represent untapped entrepreneurial potential and 75% of those missing entrepreneurs are women. The report emphasizes the effectiveness of youth entrepreneurship schemes, and that encouraging youth to engage in entrepreneurial activities is crucial for fostering economic growth and innovation.
In addition the OECD/PISA assessment shows that socio-economically advantaged students outperform their disadvantaged peers, with the socio-economic background accounting for 12% of the variation in performance. Not only did students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds score lower in financial literacy, they also had fewer opportunities to learn about money.
To address this gap urgently, the seven points for G7 are elaborated in more detail below, and JA Europe is available for further information and starting a collaboration.
JA Europe’s 7 Points for G7:
Youth at the forefront!
1) Invest in entrepreneurship education opportunities
- Ensure education systems offer hands-on entrepreneurial learning experiences, especially in disadvantaged areas.
- Collaborate nationally and regionally to align education with workforce needs.
- Recognize and scale up certification tools like the Entrepreneurial Skills Pass.
2) Accelerate deep tech and AI adoption
- Embed deep tech and AI education into all levels of schooling.
- Support initiatives like Code4Europe to empower youth in digital technologies.
- Integrate AI into existing programmes like JA entrepreneurship education. Concrete pilot initiatives already exist and can be scaled immediately. JA Europe’s AI programme is featured as one of the eight case studies by the World Economic Forum’s recent Shaping the Future of Learning report.
3) Foster innovation for the green economy
- Promote green innovation in education and entrepreneurship. Encourage circular economy initiatives among young entrepreneurs, especially girls.
- Scale successful projects like the EU’s GirlsGoCircular.
4) Facilitate Start Up creation from an early age
- Improve access to funding and reduce bureaucratic hurdles for young entrepreneurs.
- Support girls in entrepreneurship careers and invest in youth-led ventures, such as through JA Europe’s Precede Venture Network.
5) Transform key industrial sectors
- Upskill retail and agri-food sectors through digital and green innovation.
- Support initiatives like the EU’s Skills4Retail and collaborate on AI solutions for agri-food with organizations like JA Europe.
6) Invest in teacher training
- Equip teachers with digital and green economy skills. JA network can facilitate train-the-trainers initiatives to bridge education and workforce needs.
7) Encourage entrepreneurship in cultural and creative sectors
- Promote ethical entrepreneurship in cultural industries. Scale existing training programs and digital toolkits with UNESCO’s collaboration.
- In close collaboration with UNESCO, scale existing concrete training programmes and digital toolkits that are empowering youth with entrepreneurship skills in the Cultural and Creative Industries (www.culturalbees.eu).
About JA Europe
JA Europe is the largest and leading organisation in Europe dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed. For over 100 years, JA Worldwide has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health. In the last school year, the JA Europe network in over 40 countries provided 6 million learning experiences for youth in online, in person and blended formats with the support of nearly 110,000 teachers and almost 90,000 business volunteers. In 2024, JA Worldwide was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the third nomination in three years.
On 2-4 July, Gen-E 2024 European Entrepreneurship Festival is organised in Catania, Sicily.
Press and media contact at JA Europe:
Minna Melleri
Chief of Advocacy and Growth
JA Europe
minna@jaeurope.org
Tel. +47 48244861
