Leading Entrepreneurial Futures: Innovating Higher Education with European Practices for Tomorrow’s Business Leaders

The processes of globalisation, digitalisation and increased competition in the international labour market are leading to an increase in the role of entrepreneurial competence among modern professionals. Therefore, the article aims to study innovative technologies for training future specialists for entrepreneurship in European educational practice and identify trends that should be implemented in Ukrainian higher education institutions. The article examines strategies for developing entrepreneurial competence. It analyses pedagogical technologies for training future specialists for entrepreneurship in European educational practice, using examples from EU countries such as Norway, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Croatia, and the Czech Republic. The study used the following methods: analysis of literature and practical cases of EU countries’ experience in preparing higher education students for entrepreneurship, questionnaire survey of experts to identify the most effective strategies and technologies of vocational education that should be implemented in the educational process of Ukrainian higher education institutions, and statistical calculation of the effectiveness of acquiring entrepreneurial competence using the selected technologies. The results of a preliminary expert assessment of the prospects for implementing strategies for training future specialists for entrepreneurship from European practice in the conditions of Ukrainian higher education institutions have shown the high efficiency of integrating digital and entrepreneurial skills, practice-oriented learning, digitalisation of education and dual education. To confirm the hypothesis about the effectiveness of the formation of entrepreneurial competence using the outlined innovative technologies, criteria and their indicators have been developed. The criterion-based assessment of the formation of entrepreneurial competence before and after the introduction of European experience in using innovative technologies for training specialists has made it possible to assert the feasibility of their use. According to the expert assessment, confirmed by the statistical calculation according to the Student’s criterion, the formation of entrepreneurial competence of higher education students after introducing European practices of training specialists for entrepreneurship is effective and promising. Recommendations for further implementation of the European experience in training future specialists for entrepreneurship using innovative technologies are also provided. It is determined that the use of European practices of applying innovative technologies for training future specialists for entrepreneurship is a key way to train qualified personnel, promote economic development and improve the level of the education system.