The ETSE-Goals project aimed to promote an innovative and structured integration of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into entrepreneurial education within the Social Economy sector of vocational education and training (VET). Its overall goal was to strengthen the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Europe by equipping VET educators and students with the knowledge, skills, and tools to align entrepreneurship with sustainability. Its specific objectives were: • To assess and map the current integration of the SDGs in vocational training across Europe, especially in areas linked to the Social Economy. • To develop and implement an innovative training package for VET trainers to facilitate teaching entrepreneurship aligned with the SDGs. • To create a collaborative digital platform fostering networking, knowledge exchange, and co-creation of educational resources among educators, students, and key stakeholders. • To formulate policy recommendations for effective and lasting integration of the SDGs into VET curricula at national and European levels. The project sought to foster responsible entrepreneurs, improve VET quality, and support digital and ecological transitions in education and the economy.
The ETSE-Goals project addresses a critical gap in the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into vocational education and training (VET), especially within the Social Economy sector. It responds to several needs identified among the partners: (1) the lack of structured incorporation of the SDGs in VET curricula, whose implementation remains fragmented or nonexistent in many European countries; (2) the need to align entrepreneurial education with social and environmental priorities, reshaping an approach focused solely on economic outcomes; (3) the scarcity of training, tools, and resources for educators to teach entrepreneurship from a sustainability and social impact perspective; and (4) the disconnect between education, business, public policies, and civil society. ETSE-Goals promotes innovation in VET, strengthens teacher competencies, and supports the training of socially responsible entrepreneurs committed to the SDGs and the common good. It contributes to the European Education Area and the 2030 Agenda by fostering equity, inclusion, cross-sector cooperation, and sustainable, inclusive growth across the EU.