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Turning Knowledge into Capital: How Adult Education and RVCC Unlock Community Entrepreneurship in Rural Territories

Author

Listed:
  • Susana Soares Pinheiro Vieira Pescada

    (Universidade do Algarve, Portugal)

  • Fernando Teixeira

    (Instituto Politécnico de Beja, Beja, Portugal)

  • António Manuel Felício Espírito Santo

    (Instituto Politécnico de Beja, Beja, Portugal)

Abstract

This study examines how Adult Education and the Recognition, Validation and Certification of Competencies processes (RVCC) can be strategically mobilized to activate human capital, foster local entrepreneurship and promote sustainable development in Almodôvar, a low-density rural municipality in the Alentejo region. Based on a qualitative and exploratory approach, supported by semi-structured interviews with 15 participants, including learners and programme promoters, and analysed through thematic analysis, the research repositions competency recognition as a strategic resource rather than merely an educational outcome. The findings show that structured learning pathways and the recognition of experiential knowledge function as catalysts for individual empowerment, increased employability and strengthened entrepreneurial confidence, generating human capital with relevance for local economic dynamics. At the community level, these initiatives reinforce trust-based cooperation networks and stimulate civic engagement, both essential for territorially rooted entrepreneurial ecosystems. However, structural barriers persist, including mobility constraints, scheduling rigidity and resource scarcity, which limit expansion, sustainability and overall impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Susana Soares Pinheiro Vieira Pescada & Fernando Teixeira & António Manuel Felício Espírito Santo, 2026. "Turning Knowledge into Capital: How Adult Education and RVCC Unlock Community Entrepreneurship in Rural Territories," Sustainable Regional Development Scientific Journal, Sustainable Regional Development Scientific Journal, vol. 0(1), pages 118-124, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bfb:srdjou:2026-01_8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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