The influence of entrepreneurial education on the development of entrepreneurial intentions of young people

A successful start-up begins with an innovative idea, which is then realized by identifying and seizing an opportunity. Innovation is one of the most crucial entrepreneurial qualities in this type of entrepreneurship. The aim of this paper is to determine the fundamental and specific characteristics of start-up entrepreneurship and to examine the entrepreneurial intentions and knowledge of young people in this field. The empirical research in this paper includes both secondary and primary research. Secondary research involves the presentation of relevant studies in the fields of start-up entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education. The primary empirical research was conducted on a sample of 160 students from higher education institutions in Međimurje and Varaždin counties. The results indicate that students are relatively well-informed about the possibilities of starting a start-up company. Their personal assessments of their familiarity with the processes involved in starting a start-up are of average value. Additionally, respondents identified administrative procedures, high taxes, lack of knowledge about funding sources, and insufficient information about reference centers as the main obstacles to entering entrepreneurship. By testing the research hypotheses, it was found that attending formal classes in entrepreneurship positively affects the entrepreneurial intentions of young people. The limitations of the research include the restriction of the sample to northwestern Croatia. The findings suggest a further need to strengthen entrepreneurship education and expand it to younger populations in the Republic of Croatia.