In today’s fast-changing economy, young people need more than academic achievement to thrive. They need the skills, mindset and agency to navigate complex career landscapes and emerging technologies.
As states grapple with how to better prepare students for the future of work, one pathway is entrepreneurship education. Entrepreneurship education goes beyond starting a business; it nurtures an entrepreneurial mindset that fosters creativity, critical thinking, adaptability and initiative.
New Workforce Realities
In 2023, over 45% of employers on LinkedIn relied on skills data to fill open roles. This shows that today’s employers look beyond degrees and job titles for candidates who bring problem-solving, strong communication and adaptability.
Entrepreneurship education helps close this gap by engaging students with experiences that build confidence and resilience in addition to knowledge. The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship uses the Entrepreneurial Mindset Index (EMI) to evaluate its programs. This tool measures growth across eight essential skills that build entrepreneurial awareness and prepare young people for success in a rapidly changing economy. Each domain in the EMI — ranging from initiative and self-reliance to critical thinking and opportunity recognition — aligns closely with the top in-demand skills identified by global workforce reports.
State Approaches to Entrepreneurship Education
Some states are already taking steps to help students build these skills.
- Colorado’s career and technical education (CTE) programs also provide entrepreneurship-focused pathways in business and marketing supported by the Colorado Community College System.
- The Florida Department of Education's Entrepreneurial Education and Training grant program supports initiatives that prepare students for the Certiport Entrepreneurship and Small Business certification.
- In Texas, the state’s college and career readiness standards explicitly include entrepreneurship as part of the required curriculum, which gives students early exposure to business fundamentals.
In addition to these examples, state education agencies and workforce development boards can:
Embed entrepreneurship in CTE programs. States can transform CTE by mandating that every pathway includes an entrepreneurship strand alongside traditional trades. This ensures that students gain not only technical skills but also business planning, financial literacy and leadership experience.
Colorado provides an example: its community colleges offer entrepreneurship tracks in business and marketing where students partner with local firms and incubators to develop real ventures, earn dual-credit certifications and learn directly from industry mentors. By tying CTE funding formulas (which reimburse districts for program costs beyond per‑pupil norms) to these program elements and supporting regional consortia for shared instructors and resources, other states could replicate Colorado’s approach.
Scale hybrid school-centered models. To balance academic rigor with immersive learning, states could fund partnerships between high schools and dedicated entrepreneurship centers. The Dallas Independent School District’s Innovation Labs pilot illustrates this approach. Students spend three days each week on campus and two days in an off-campus lab equipped with prototyping tools, pitch days and founder coaches.
State education agencies can support such models through targeted ESSA or Perkins V grants, transportation subsidies and formal agreements with regional economic-development partners that enable district to offer students startup-style learning environments.
Adopt state innovation pathways. Legislatures can institutionalize multi-year innovation pathways that embed entrepreneurship projects into the high school experience. Massachusetts’ Innovation Pathways framework does precisely that by guiding students through ideation and market research in early years, prototyping with colleges and businesses in junior year, and a full venture launch with local incubators as seniors.
Entrepreneurship education is a practical, scalable way to prepare students for a future shaped by constant innovation and evolving career paths. Beyond helping students get ready for the workforce, it builds confidence, problem-solving skills and a sense of ownership over their own futures.
Looking ahead, there are opportunities to treat entrepreneurship education not as a nice-to-have elective, but as a strategic investment. It gives students the tools to succeed, strengthens communities and lays the groundwork for a more adaptable economy.
