21stC International Enterprise Erasmus Project

Project Title

21stC International Enterprise

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); Access for disadvantaged; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment

Project Summary

As per the original application, the Context and background of the project was;

The realisation of the European Project depends upon the success of the younger generation. Future career opportunities will demand of them a mix of entrepreneurial skills to spot an opportunity and create new businesses out of the dynamic technology that surrounds them; and the transversal skills to adapt and flex to the challenges of the future employment market.

The 21CIE project aimed to develop the entrepreneurial and transversal skills of the students, through an enterprise project whereby multi-national enterprise teams set up small transnational enterprises to design, make and/or buy products and services. The students had to be innovative to maximise the opportunity of information technology to communicate and share ideas; so that during the mobilities, they focused on action planning, implementation and evaluation.

Objectives;
1. To enhance vocational and enterprise programmes in the partnership schools; through collaboration with local businesses in Newcastle, Enkhuizen and Nancy.
2. To develop the transversal and enterprise skills of our young people and enhance their awareness of the importance of using new technology and digital media marketing.
3. To develop the communication skills of young people and understand the culture involved in international business.

80 students from three countries participated in the enterprise teams. The teams were responsible for:
• Coming up with the ideas for their project and deciding what to do
• Raising and managing finance
• Learning how to communicate and collaborate in an international business team
• Action planning including steps, responsibilities of individuals and key milestones
• Implementing and monitoring progress against the key milestones they have set
• Evaluating progress and making changes
• Monitoring and evaluating each other’s contribution to the team.
Staff from the host country provided:
• Team building at the start
• Details of the skills the students were expected to develop and training/coaching
• Tools for monitoring skills development including self-assessment questionnaire
• Preparation for the European Skills Test.

Number and profile of participating organisations;

The profile of the participating students was varied. Excelsior Academy is located in West Newcastle; the catchment area is characterised historically by de-industrialisation and economic deprivation. The catchment population is truly diverse, with a significant white working class population, a distinct but well established population with roots in the Indian Sub-Continent and a newer population made up of a mix of Eastern Europeans and a range of other countries in Asia, Africa and South America.

RSG Enkhuizen serves a small town and the surrounding rural population in the west of the Netherlands. The catchment population is characterised by a mixture of urban and rural students.

Lycee Jeanne d’Arc is located in central Nancy in the North-East France. Traditionally an industrial area, this area too has endured de-industrialisation and there is a need to revitalise the economy following de-industrialisation.

The three schools are all different in size, character and catchment area. But the desire to help their young people develop the entrepreneurial and transversal skills, to prepare them to make a contribution to their own economy and community, united the three schools and provided the drive for this innovative project, 21CIE.

Description of undertaken main activities;
Structure of the activities in UK:
Day 1 – setting the scene, expectations, selection of charity, ice breakers, forming teams and assignment of roles and team name
Day 2 – planning resources, preparation and production of products
Day 3 – completion of products, sales in pop up shop, educational/cultural visits
Day 4 – Planning and preparation of presentation including training on skills required. Presentation to peers, staff and local community groups

These activities were written and agreed with partners in advance to ensure they included the agreed outcomes such as:
– Team-building, ice breaker games (these were especially relevant as this was the first occasion the students had met), working in international teams
– Presentations, to peers, staff and local community groups
– Feedback from staff meeting, this meeting was recorded and used as an evaluation for this mobility and to plan and prepare for the following mobility
– Action Planning by the teams
– Evaluation of progress
– Cultural activities

The 21CIE project required early selection of participants and they worked in international teams. They collaborated using multi-media platforms and meetings to negotiate a project which was:

• setting up a small international trading company to trade for a period of not less than 12 months
• studying local businesses to investigate how small businesses operate

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 38130 Eur

Project Coordinator

Laidlaw Schools Trust T/A The Excelsior Academy & Country: UK

Project Partners

• LYCEE GENERAL TECHNOLOGIQUE JEANNE D’ARC
• RSG-Enkhuizen