Best practices in teaching entrepreneurship and creating entrepreneurial ecosystems in Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Best practices in teaching entrepreneurship and creating entrepreneurial ecosystems in Europe

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 youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

Our project is a response to the problem of young people in Europe lacking entrepreneurial skills and knowledge, which leads to them not fitting in the present labour market. Those young people often take hasty and ill-conceived decisions with regards to their education and professional life, are forced to accept job positions below their expectations, knowledge and skills, or are not able to find any employment at all. Entrepreneurship understood broadly, as a certain attitude towards life (being hardworking, active, courageous and independent) is a condition sine qua non for being able to find a satisfactory place on the labour market and in the society. The problem described above is caused mainly by 2 issues, which are being addressed in this project:

1. Lack of innovative methods and tools in teaching entrepreneurship to youth

2. Lack of a stable and constant cooperation between organizations, institutions and enterprises which promote entrepreneurship in particular European countries

Project aims are:

1. Promoting entrepreneurship education as a tool to support personal and professional development of young people, which in a broader perspective is crucial to improving their situation on the labour market

2. Improving the quality of working with youth through:

a. Collecting and disseminating innovative best practices from European countries (presented in a way that will make it possible for the readers to implement it easily) among teachers, NGO’s promoting entrepreneurship and institutions related to education and the labour market

b. Fostering national and international cooperation between organizations related to teaching and promoting entrepreneurship, as well as between those organizations and other stakeholders (like local or national government officials)

c. Supporting professional development of teachers and youth workers representing partnering institutions as well as institutions not being involved directly in the project

Project participants are 9 employees and representatives of partnering institutions (5 from Poland, 2 from Malta and 2 from UK), who are responsible for teaching and promoting entrepreneurship in their respective countries. They represent NGO’s (Poland, UK), a university (Malta) and a public institution (Poland). They all have a broad and diverse experience with working for and with youth, especially on the field of entrepreneurship.

The project will base on collecting and presenting detailed information about innovative methods, tools and solutions used to teach and promote entrepreneurship in 3 European countries. The final result of these actions will be an online publication which will be disseminated on at least 2 local meetings and an international conference in Warsaw. Materials needed for this publication will be collected by the participants through researches, contacting partner organizations, enterprises and institutions, as well as conversations with teachers and youth. 3 international project meetings are of a key importance here: they will let the participants have an in-depth insight into local conditions and collect data, pictures and videos needed.

The project will have a positive impact on:

1. direct participants:

improved competences, linked to their professional profiles

increased sense of initiative and entrepreneurship

increased motivation and satisfaction in their daily work

more positive attitude towards the European project

increased opportunities for professional development

increased competence in foreign languages

broader understanding of practices, policies and systems in education, training or youth across countries;

greater understanding of interconnections between formal and non-formal education

2. Participating organizations:

a more modern, dynamic, committed and professional environment inside the organisation

innovative approaches to addressing their target groups

increased capacity and professionalism to work at EU/international level

more positive attitude towards the European project

3. Other beneficiaries (like teachers and youth workers):

improved competences, linked to their professional profiles

greater understanding of interconnections between formal and non-formal education

more positive attitude towards the European project

broader understanding of practices, policies and systems in education, training or youth across countries

We believe that in a longer perspective this project will contribute to improving the quality of teaching entrepreneurship and to create a more entrepreneurship-friendly environment in Europe. We want the long-term effect to be also creating a stable platforms for permanent cooperation between different stakeholders responsible for teaching and promoting entrepreneurship – on national and European level. In a long run, this all will contribute to solving one of the most serious problems of the today’s world: youth unemployment.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 55040,19 Eur

Project Coordinator

Fundacja Swiatowego Tygodnia Przedsiebiorczosci & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Peace Child International
• UNIVERSITA TA MALTA
• Fundacja “Inkubator Technologiczny”