ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN THE FUNCTION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

The main goal of this paper is to determine the level of development of entrepreneurial education in the Republic of Serbia, bearing in mind the fact that entrepreneurial education plays a significant role in encouraging entrepreneurial spirit and entrepreneurship. Acquiring and developing entrepreneurial competences in the territory of the Republic of Serbia for persons older than 15 years is also achieved through the implementation of the functional basic education program for adults. In the design and realization of entrepreneurial activities, the connection of the economy and educational institutions plays a significant role, as well as the introduction and implementation of the dual education system, began to be implemented within certain secondary vocational schools, mainly in the field of technical-technological scientific disciplines. Various extracurricular activities, projects and programs implemented in educational institutions, often with the support of national and/or international institutions, organizations, business entities, etc., make a significant contribution to the acquisition and development of entrepreneurial competences. Entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and abilities can be improved by studying entrepreneurship at universities and colleges, through independent exams and/or modules, at basic, professional, specialist, master's and doctoral studies, with a multidisciplinary approach, mainly within organizational sciences, business economics and management, engineering management and industrial engineering. Entrepreneurship is also successfully studied in the sphere of informal education, through the implementation of various training and development programs created for different age categories of the population, with different levels of entrepreneurial (prior) knowledge. Based on research, it has been established that in the Republic of Serbia, a certain progress has been made in the implementation of entrepreneurial education, which is represented in a formal sense at all levels of education, especially in secondary vocational education. On the other hand, it was established that it is necessary to work on improving the general entrepreneurial climate and entrepreneurial environment, which would stimulate all categories of the population to be additionally educated, activated and realize their entrepreneurial potential. In this, entrepreneurial education plays an extremely important role, which should be continuously improved. It is especially necessary to work on improving the implementation of entrepreneurial education in the youth population. The need to create a program to encourage and improve female entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship of the socio-economically vulnerable population was also identified.