Promotion of Youth Entrepreneurship in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region in Finland—An Evaluation of the Impact of the Theme Year

Teemu Rantanen, Eeva Järveläinen
(Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Finland)

Abstract: In the Helsinki-Uusimaa region of Finland, 2012 was the year of entrepreneurship, with the central aim of promoting entrepreneurship among young people. Throughout the year, some 80 events took place and various separate events were organised in schools. This report will evaluate the impact of the theme year and its events. The research behind this study is framed around Icek Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour. The study will examine the changes to the entrepreneurial intentions of young people and the factors influencing such intentions that have taken place over the theme year. The first set of survey data (N = 873) was collected in early 2012 and the second set of data (N = 725) was collected in early 2013. The results indicate the challenging nature of trying to influence entrepreneurial intentions.

Keywords: entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial intention; theory of planned behaviour

JELcodes: D00, I25, M13