Chapter 5: The Gig Trap in Entrepreneurship Education: Reclaiming Deep Learning and Holistic Development

Entrepreneurship education (EE) has been widely promoted as a solution to economic precarity and a catalyst for innovation. Yet, this chapter argues that current gig-centric models of EE undermine the foundations of education by privileging short-term, transactional skills over disciplinary depth and holistic development. Central to this critique is the deprofessionalisation paradox, in which policies and curricula incentivise ‘hustle’ logics and venture quantity at the expense of expertise, ethical reasoning and systematic problem-solving. This narrowing of purpose not only stifles breakthrough innovation but also diminishes education’s role in fostering citizenship, creativity and long-term adaptability.

The study employs a qualitative, document-based methodology, analysing global and national policy frameworks to uncover the systemic logics driving EE’s complicity in the gig trap. Anchored in neoliberal governance, human capital theory and systems thinking, the analysis reveals how market imperatives and credentialisation mechanisms have reshaped educational priorities. The chapter concludes by calling for a reorientation of EE towards deep learning, ethical engagement and ventures aligned with societal and planetary well-being, offering policy and curricular recommendations to restore education’s transformative mission.