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Madlen Serban, ETF's Director, was in no doubt about the importance of Serbia's partnership building efforts, as she opened the two-day meeting. ‘You have taken on a most important development by agreeing to work in a structured partnership to bring forward entrepreneurial learning in your country', she said, thanking the Serb delegation for its readiness to share its experience with other countries. Biljana Dimitrijevic of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce underlined the importance of the private sector in ensuring that the various parts of government created the necessary policy interfaces which would allow for lifelong education and training to develop from primary through to university education.

Igor Brkanovic, Serbia's deputy economy minister was clear as to why a more concerted approach to lifelong entrepreneurial learning was important for Serbia. ‘Increasing competitiveness means that our businesses need to have the edge. We need a more developed spirit amongst our young people, more innovative and ready with ideas which can feed our business potential', said Mr. Brkanovic, ‘and we are turning to our education system to help promote that entrepreneurial culture'. How Serbia was responding to this new demand was left to Bogoljub Lazarevic, deputy minister for education who talked the participants through the country's national entrepreneurial learning strategy. ‘We are more and more aware that new concepts are evolving in education', he said, underlining the need for early education to examine ways and means in which formal schooling could support children in developing the entrepreneurial mindset which the economy was now demanding.

‘The issue is not confined to the classroom', warned Zorica Labudovic of Serbia's youth ministry which plays a crucial role in getting local communities to support youngsters in tackling joblessness. ‘Our statutory youth services work directly with civic groups to build better understanding amongst young people of the opportunities that entrepreneurship can bring not only to the individual but to their community', she said. Backing up Ms Labudovic, Marko Stoyanovic of Civic Initiatives in Serbia put the case: ‘we have access to many parts of society and can ensure that the entrepreneurship policy messages are better understood,' said Mr. Stoyanovic. Civic Initiatives is a key player in Serbia's entrepreneurship education drive and a member of the national partnership for entrepreneurial learning.

‘We've already got a lifelong partnership framework in place in Turkey', said Ibrahim Bukel of Turkey's Ministry of National Education, ‘but we need to relfect more on how entrepreneurship is to be developed across the learning system. We have a wide range of players already doing some excellent work but getting to a more structured framework for policy and delivery arrangements like our Serbian colleagues have developed is something we need to discuss'. ‘Yes, our business world could benefit from a more strategic line in lifelong entrepreneurial learning', added Mehmet Guven of Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen, ‘but for the time being, training is continually required for business start-ups and other businesses which intend to expand', said Mr Guven, underling the need for more developed training services able to respond to the business community. Rania Abdrabeh of the Damascus Chamber of Industry echoed similar sentiments when she spoke of the skills deficit in Syria. ‘Our education and training system need to be more responsive to the economy', said Ms. Abdrabeh, ‘and the range of policy partners could do more to ensure that the issue is given better standing in the country's development agenda', she said.

The Serbian partnership building initiative was supported by ETF, in cooperation with the South East European Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, and forms part of the Foundation's efforts to improve the pre-accession region's performance on the entrepreneurial learning dimensions of the European Small Business Act. The ETF also works with the Southern Mediterranean region in promoting entrepreneurial learning as part of the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Enterprise. 

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