EntreComp for youth: how Eastern Partnership countries are making entrepreneurship accessible

In October, the EntreComp4Youth Framework, introduced in Ukraine as part of the EU4Youth Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship programme, conducted a series of webinars called ‘Fostering Youth Entrepreneurship’. These webinars, targeting the Eastern Partnership region, focused on how to adapt the EntreComp4Youth Framework and the EntreGram4Youth tool to local conditions to help tackle youth unemployment. Moldova and Armenia showed strong interest, with clear support from both government institutions and civil society.

The webinars served as platforms for exploring ways to improve employment policies and adapt European entrepreneurship framework to the local needs. Webinar participants were given access to the web resources of the EntreComp4Youth framework and EntreGram4Youth self-assessment tool for testing.

At a regional event, scheduled for November, participants will have the opportunity to provide feedback and ideas on how these tools can be implemented in the Eastern Partnership countries.

Since its launch in 2016, the EntreComp Framework has gained a lot of attention in the Eastern Partnership region. Countries like Armenia, Georgia, and Ukraine were quick to translate it, but a key question remained: how can this framework be smoothly integrated into local education and policies? More importantly, how do we bring it to the people who need it – not experts, but individuals who want to explore their own entrepreneurial skills?

Ukraine has taken the lead in transforming this framework. Thanks to the government’s digital platform, Diia.Osvita, the country already had experience in localising European frameworks. A while ago, they introduced a version of the DigiComp 2.0 digital skills framework, along with a user-friendly self-assessment tool. Building on that success, in 2023, the EntreComp4Youth Framework was introduced in Ukraine as part of the EU4Youth Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship programme. Alongside it, a tool called EntreGram4Youth was also launched – a self-assessment tool to help young people measure their entrepreneurial skills, made available through the government’s platform.

The EntreComp4Youth Framework is built on the familiar European idea of business development in three stages: Start, Run, and Grow. But Ukraine made a key addition – an extra stage called “Area 0,” which helps young people prepare before starting their own business. It supports individuals in understanding their own strengths, motivations, and potential in a structured way. EntreGram, the tool that goes with it, provides questions to help people figure out their strong points and the areas they need to improve. All the questions are linked to the EntreComp4Youth competencies, making it clear and easy to follow.

EntreGram is more than just a quiz. It helps young people validate entrepreneurial skills they have gained through non-formal and/or informal learning, like volunteering, online courses. The results can be added to a CV and are already well recognised by employers. In just six months, over 2000 people – mostly under 35 – have used EntreGram to understand and improve their entrepreneurial skills.

The success of EntreComp4Youth in Ukraine could become a turning point for entrepreneurship across the entire Eastern Partnership region. This example shows that with the right support, entrepreneurial education can become accessible, practical, and highly impactful. It has the potential to shape a generation of young people ready to create jobs, foster innovation, and contribute to their local communities. As these frameworks and tools spread, they could redefine the future of work and entrepreneurship for the region, turning ambition into real opportunities.

The EU4Youth Phase III Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship programme, funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, is being executed by the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA) in Eastern Partnership countries. These include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The programme will run until the middle of 2025 and aims to provide technical assistance to governmental and non-governmental organizations to tackle youth unemployment and improve employability.