SME Europe and the EPP call for an enhancement and increased financing for the “Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs” program
SME Europe, the business organisation of the European People’s Party (EPP) advocating for SMEs, together with MEPs Paul Rübig and Iuliu Winkler have initiated and successfully passed a resolution on “Innovative Entrepreneurs” in the Plenary of the EPP Congress in Malta.
The resolution “Innovative Entrepreneurs” stresses the importance of education and formation of the youth in an entrepreneurial spirit. In the opinion of the initiators of the resolution, a future stage in the development of the youth is represented by the acquiring of a practical understanding of how to grow a business, and to this end, internships in European and global companies are a good solution.
The “Innovative Entrepreneurship” resolution emphasises the EU’s need to accomplish its Digital Single Market though the cutting of red tape and bureaucratic burdens, in order to unite the 27 national markets into one. The materialisation of this objective could bring an annual contribution of approx €415 billion to the EU’s GDP, while also creating more jobs and a more competitive and innovative market.
Paul Rübig MEP:
“As initiators of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme at European level, we have seen its growing success over the past years. Now we want to take this initiative to the next level by internationalising it. It is a good opportunity for young entrepreneurs to get experience from Silicon Valley, Bangalore, Israel or China, just to mention a few. “Learning by doing is the best we can do”.
The programme can offer a strong added value to the business of both, host and new entrepreneurs. It is truly a win-win collaboration whereby both, new entrepreneurs and host entrepreneurs can also discover new prospering markets and business partners, as well as different ways of doing business. On the long-term, they will benefit from wide networking opportunities, and they may decide to continue their collaboration as long-term business partners”.
Iuliu Winkler MEP:
“The EPP wishes to determine the European Commission to extend the “Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs” program and to grant it further substantial financing in order to increase the number of beneficiaries among the youth, affirmed Iuliu Winkler (RMDSZ) in his speech on the occasion of the adoption of the “Innovative Entrepreneurship” resolution during the plenary of the EPP congress in Malta.
‘Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs’ is a trademark of the EPP given the importance that is granted to the interests of the youth and their future. We wish to determine the European Commission to extend this program and to grant it a more substantial financing in order to have a larger pool of beneficiaries amongst the youth. The experience that is gathered next to an entrepreneurial mentor is brought home, contributing to the relaunching of the economy and facilitating the creation of jobs”, added Iuliu Winkler.
The resolution “Innovative Entrepreneurs” stresses the importance of education and formation of the youth in an entrepreneurial spirit. In the opinion of the initiators of the resolution, a future stage in the development of the youth is represented by the acquiring of a practical understanding of how to grow a business, and to this end, internships in European and global companies are a good solution.
According to the initiators, schools and universities should adapt to the new economic realities and should strive for the adoption of an entrepreneurial and innovative thinking, in order for the youth to develop the right skills for conducting their own businesses.
“Erasmus for young entrepreneurs”, a program initiated in 2009, having the objective of supporting entrepreneurs towards gaining valuable experience through learning and networking, and through traineeships in experienced companies, proved to be a success.
“We call on the European Commission to increase the financial support for the “Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs” program, in order to enhance the current goal of 10,000 participants by 2020 towards a truly ambitious level of 30,000 beneficiaries by 2025″, underlined Winkler in his address to the EPP Congress Plenary”.
