Empowering youth – strengthening educational and labor market pathways through strategic partnerships and entrepreneurial education

Purpose This study examines the role of strategic partnerships between education providers, the labor market and policymakers in fostering youth educational engagement and work readiness in the rural, regional area of Mellersta Norrland, Sweden. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in educational ecosystem theory (Hargreaves, 2014), professional capital (Hargreaves and Fullan, 2012), and entrepreneurial education frameworks (Fayolle and Gailly, 2015; Seikkula-Leino et al., 2010, 2021), the study explores how collaboration can address youth unemployment and skill mismatches. A qualitative focus group interview with key stakeholders was employed. Findings We identify four critical challenges: (1) limited integration between education and work, (2) barriers to labor market entry, (3) the need for strengthened partnerships and (4) the need to create better opportunities for innovative solutions. The findings underscore the importance of digitalization, structured mentorship programs and entrepreneurship education in enhancing youth employability, specifically in rural contexts. Originality/value This study contributes unique findings to international discussions on entrepreneurial ecosystems and labor market alignment by exploring scalable, policy-relevant recommendations that bridge the gap between education and employment for supporting student pathways in a rural context. Although school–industry collaboration frameworks have been studied widely internationally, this focuses specifically on stakeholders’ work with students in rural contexts.