Creating exponential value and mapping entrepreneurial competencies: A methodological proposal from the classroom to the advanced public university

Abstract

Abstract The entrepreneurship is consolidating itself as a fundamental strategy to mitigate unemployment, growing structurally and driving economic development. This requires strengthening cross-cutting and specialized skills during university education to increase the probability of success in consolidating sustainable ventures. However, in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, young people face obstacles due to limited practical experience and the current skills gap, which compromises the viability and continuity of innovative projects. This research seeks to assess the level of development of entrepreneurial skills, focusing on the final year of degrees in Administration, Public Accounting and Finance, Management and Public Policy, Business, Marketing, and Sustainable Tourism at public universities, specifically those who actively participate in institutional programs on entrepreneurial development. It analyzes the presence of gender gaps among young entrepreneurs, highlighting the differences in skills between students with and without previous experience. A non-probabilistic quantitative design was applied to 210 students using a structured digital survey. Data analysis used two-stage clustering techniques, identifying five distinct groups that were statistically validated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings show that public higher education has effectively institutionalized the entrepreneurial paradigm, facilitating the acquisition of professional, methodological, communicative, personal and collaborative skills for most students, revealing a superiority in skills among male participants and those with previous business experience, suggesting differentiating factors. Consequently, a curriculum reengineering is recommended to incorporate specialized modules in the identification, development, and materialization of business opportunities, promoting the successful labor market insertion of graduates, both in self-employment and in the traditional-market labor, contributing to strengthening of national entrepreneurial ecosystem.