From Classroom to Entrepreneurial Hub

How can vocational education better prepare young people for a changing labour market? One answer is to bring education, entrepreneurship and the regional business community closer together.

That is exactly what the C-ENTRE Erasmus+ project is working on. The project supports vocational education and training (VET) educators in developing the coaching skills needed to help students turn ideas into real-world projects.

A key part of this work is Work Package 3 (WP3), which focuses on developing the concept and practical implementation of Entrepreneurship HUBs in vocational schools.

More than just a room

A C-ENTRE HUB is not simply a classroom with different furniture. It is intended to become a place where students can experiment, create, collaborate and connect with entrepreneurs.

The HUB model connects three levels:

• School: creating a flexible environment where students and teachers can work with entrepreneurial ideas.
• Region: connecting schools with SMEs, chambers of commerce and other business partners.
• Policy: linking HUB activities with regional and national strategies and sustainable funding opportunities.

The aim is to create a bridge between what students learn at school and what businesses and society need.

Designed together with students and teachers

An important principle of WP3 is co-creation. Before developing the HUB model, C-ENTRE partners in Hungary, Portugal and the Netherlands organised workshops with students and educators.

Their message was clear: students want opportunities to do, not just learn about entrepreneurship.

They identified practical needs such as flexible furniture, good digital infrastructure, prototyping materials and secure storage for projects. But the physical environment is only part of the picture.

Students also highlighted the importance of:

• regular contact with real entrepreneurs and mentors;
• practical guidance on starting a business and financial planning;
• opportunities to test ideas with real users and markets;
• a creative environment where they can work independently;
• seeing successful projects from previous students.

Teachers, meanwhile, highlighted the need for support in applying action-oriented approaches such as Design Thinking and Lean Startup.

From teacher to coach

The C-ENTRE HUB model is built around a simple process:

Hands-on challenges → Coaching → Prototyping → Connecting with the market

A central element is Kolb’s experiential learning cycle. Instead of simply delivering knowledge, the teacher helps students learn from experience, reflect on what they have done and apply their learning to the next step.

This changes the role of the educator—from lecturer to coach and facilitator.

What comes next?

The findings from WP3 are now being brought together in the “How to HUB?” Implementation Guide. The guide will offer vocational education institutions practical guidance for designing and operating their own Entrepreneurship HUB.

The next major step will take place in October 2026, when 12 VET professionals from the C-ENTRE partner countries will visit the Netherlands for a study tour. They will experience HUBs in practice and explore how entrepreneurial learning and coaching are integrated into the Dutch VET system.

The goal is not to copy one model, but to share approaches that can inspire vocational schools across Europe to develop their own entrepreneurial ecosystems.