EECOLE (Entrepreneurship Education, Collaboration and Engagement) held its second roundtable in Toronto in the final months of 2023. EECOLE was founded in 2021 as a part of the United Nations Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) event. It functions under the auspices of the OECD Committee on SME and Entrepreneurship and is overseen by the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, Regions and Cities (CFE).
Significant obstacles are encountered by both companies and employees, as evidenced by OECD data, which shows that over 40% of firms have trouble filling positions and 35% of workers believe their skills are insufficient. By encouraging entrepreneurial ecosystems and skills, fostering policy synergies, and aiding in the shift to a more sustainable and digital economy, EECOLE seeks to close these gaps.
On November 30 and December 1, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) of Canada collaborated to host the second roundtable of OECD EECOLE. The event, which was organized by the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, had about 60 participants from the public and commercial sectors, as well as representatives from international organizations, businesses, academia, and civil society including INSME Secretary General Giovanni Zazzerini who discussed the importance of fostering a win-win collaboration model between startups and SMEs.
The creation of data and regulations to assist entrepreneurial ecosystems—and to make innovation and skill acquisition more accessible, especially for small and startup businesses—was emphasized. Partners decided to leverage entrepreneurial talents, higher education institutions (HEIs), and innovation intermediaries to promote innovation and sustainable growth across regions by using EECOLE for policy discourse and peer learning to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems.
You can access the document here.
Source: INSME Secretariat
