ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the effectiveness of entrepreneurship training programmes by examining the outputs of eight such programmes in five European countries. It identifies both the benefits and shortcomings of entrepreneurship training programmes, investigating their overall impact in economic and non-economic terms. The training programmes included in the investigation were as follows: an All-Ireland, Industry Sponsored Programme, an Irish Cross-border Programme, an Irish, Industry Sponsored, Redundancy Support Programme, an Irish, Dublin-Based Programme, a Dutch Programme, a Swedish Programme, a Finnish Programme and a Spanish Programme. Data were gathered by means of analysis of documentary evidence as well as from semi-structured interviews with both programme providers and funders. Each of the providers interviewed stated that their organisations were definitely getting value for money from the programmes. Some problems were encountered in conducting the comparative analysis, since despite the apparent commonality in their overall aims and objectives, the programmes were all put together differently.
