Former US president George W. Bush reportedly quipped once that the French have no word for entrepreneur. But the French innovation minister on Tuesday said she wants to launch a school to teach people how to become one, reports FRANCE 24.
Of course, the very word “entrepreneur” comes from French, although its meaning in France is broader, meaning “contractor” or “manager” as well as the English connotation of an enterprising individual striking out on his or her own.
Now, Small Business Minister Fleur Pellerin (pictured, above) wants to set up an “ecole de l’entrepreneuriat”. This “school for entrepreneurs”, which Pellerin signalled could be run as a public-private partnership, would offer training in the legal, accounting and administrative aspects of setting up a company in a country with a reputation for red tape.
The school may not be based on a physical location, she also said, adding that it would be open to people of all profiles. This contrasts with France's élite, world-famous business schools such as the HEC, near Paris.
“I don’t want it to be the case any more that certain French people are excluded from entrepreneurship because they lack the right diplomas, because of their origin, their gender or their age,” Pellerin told Le Figaro newspaper.
Read more of this report from FRANCE 24.