The Entrepreneurial Centres of Vocational Excellence (EntreCoVE) Training Programme supports Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) actors in Egypt and Palestine to strengthen their institutions through an entrepreneurial mindset. It is designed for directors, managers and staff who want to make their organisations more innovative, competitive, impactful and sustainable in a fast-changing environment.
What it focuses on
Participants explore how to build an entrepreneurial culture inside their organisations, strengthen institutional capacity, improve services, and collaborate more effectively with stakeholders and local ecosystems.
How it works (blended learning)
The programme combines self-paced e-learning (interactive content, case studies, reflection exercises and short quizzes) with face-to-face workshops led by local trainers, where participants apply what they learn through hands-on activities, group work and practical assignments.
What materials are included
Learners access interactive online modules, while trainers use ready-to-deliver slide decks and a practical resources pack with worksheets, templates and activity guides that can be printed or adapted to real institutional contexts.
Module 1 introduces the entrepreneurial mindset as the foundation for stronger TVET institutions. It focuses on how teams can shift from “waiting and repeating” to spotting opportunities, trying small improvements, and building a culture where innovation feels safe and practical.
An entrepreneurial mindset is not “about starting a business”. In a TVET institution, it means turning everyday challenges—like declining enrolment, outdated programmes, or resistance to change—into opportunities to improve services for learners and the community.
This module helps TVET leaders and staff build the habits that make institutions more adaptive: taking initiative, learning from setbacks, collaborating across teams, and working more closely with industry and local partners.
What participants learn in Module 1
By the end of this module, participants can:
- Explain what an entrepreneurial mindset looks like in TVET (in simple, real-world behaviours).
- Identify the elements of an entrepreneurial culture and what helps it grow inside an institution.
- Use a practical competence map for entrepreneurship (Ideas & Opportunities / Resources / Into Action) to reflect on strengths and gaps.
- Apply Design Thinking to turn a real institutional challenge into a small, testable solution and an action plan.
Module 1: Materials for trainers
To wrap up, this first module sets the foundation for strengthening TVET institutions through an entrepreneurial mindset—turning challenges into opportunities and ideas into practical improvements.
In the next modules, we will dive deeper into how to build strategic capacity, drive innovation in TVET services, and strengthen collaboration with stakeholders and the wider ecosystem. Stay tuned for the upcoming posts, where we will share the key insights, tools and takeaways from each module.
The key ideas from Module 1 (in plain language)
1) What an entrepreneurial mindset looks like
Participants explore simple behaviours that make institutions more opportunity-driven: being proactive, resilient, creative, adaptable, curious, and taking smart (calculated) risks.
2) How mindset becomes culture
An entrepreneurial culture exists when staff feel safe to propose ideas, mistakes are treated as learning, teams collaborate across departments, partnerships are welcomed, and innovation is recognised.
3) Moving from “traits” to daily practice
The module makes it practical: entrepreneurial behaviour in TVET can look like proposing new courses linked to labour-market needs, modernising learning with digital tools, creating applied student projects with companies, or building new partnerships and exchange initiatives.
A practical way to apply Module 1 in your institution (quick start)
If you want to apply this module immediately, try a simple “30-day culture starter”:
- Identify one challenge you want to improve (e.g., enrolment, employer engagement, digital learning).
- Use the Design Thinking steps to create one small prototype you can test quickly.
- Agree on one small, smart risk you will take this month—and what you will learn from it.
- Share lessons openly (what worked / what didn’t) to make innovation feel safe and normal.
What’s next
Module 1 is the mindset shift: moving from routine to opportunity. In Module 2, the focus becomes more structured—how institutions plan improvements, strengthen internal capacity, and make change sustainable over time. Stay tuned for the next post.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
