Abstract

Sparsely populated areas (SPA) are often suffering from narrow economic structure, which makes them vulnerable for challenges in the global environment since their capacity to adapt to rapid economic changes is poor (Lundmark 2006). Entrepreneurs are key actors in job creation, economic wellbeing, and resilience in the regions (Muller 2016). In spite of its impact on economic growth, the number of entrepreneurs is commonly low in high-income countries (Rauch and Hulsink 2015). Therefore, entrepreneurial education (EE) has been an increasing interest for the researcher as an enabler of new jobs and new enterprises advancing welfare and competitiveness (Leitch et al. 2012; Rauch and Hulsink 2015). People, and especially youth living in SPAs, small towns and regions next to growth centers, are likely to move to larger growth centers and other densely populated regions. To make SPAs more viable and enable more youth to live in the countryside, this study focuses on an important issue: youths’ entrepreneurial abilities to increase welfare and enable young people to freely choose the regions where they want to live. Young people in urban and SPA regions especially benefit from practical education, but while young people in towns SPAs seem to be more prepared open and able when it comes to entrepreneurial thinking. This study highlights the potential of rural regions as a future living and working possibility for young people. The study also shows how improving youths’ entrepreneurial skills would increase entrepreneurship, common welfare, and national happiness.