TRaining for Unique Skills and Techniques for MEntoring Erasmus Project

Project Title

TRaining for Unique Skills and Techniques for MEntoring

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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Regional dimension and cooperation

Project Summary

Context/background
The experience of previous projects, focusing on SMEs and led by BBS, confirmed that in order to access SMEs mentoring was increasingly seen as a more effective methodology than training. Pure trainings did not prove to be sufficient enough and the SMEs preferred largely the mentoring solution to trainings confined to classroom or even to on-line. Now, the partners realised that the passage from trainings to mentoring was an unavoidable change of profile.

Objectives
The main objective of the project was to produce innovative curricula for future business mentors in general, elaborate a soft skill card and a hard knowledge package necessitated by the mentors in particular. Varied pedagogical approaches were applied with appropriate ratios of conventional and IT-supported methodologies. The curricula were accompanied by entry and continuous assessment procedures.
Another objective was to test these courses in real life to set up in this way a kernel of mentor networks in each participating country.
A twofold objective in validation of the results was to start the institutional and national accreditation of the courses on one side and to prepare future international certification of the mentorship itself, a still non-regulated profession in the EU, on the other.
Another objective was to elaborate the frames of future cooperation with the main goal of developing an integrated international network of certified business mentors.

Number and profile of partners
The six-member partnership was well balanced between VET institutions and business associations, professional bodies. The three universities had sound track records in SME related cooperation in bilateral and in EU projects as well. Adinvest International had strong experience in operating business mentors and mentor networks in regions and had made also attempts to develop new regional mentor networks and integrate them on international level. The two business federations had long-term cooperation with the VET partners and so they gained experience in curriculum development for SMEs and piloting courses in real life. They also have rich dissemination tool systems with their own communication channels.

Main activities
Preparatory managerial activities, before and just after the project’s start, set the stage for a solid and balanced continuous project implementation.
Preparatory comparative research was carried out in order to prepare the field for the course development. This was largely supported by the transnational training activity of the project.
Research based curricula on hard knowledge and soft skills of a mentor were elaborated. Ratios of different pedagogical approaches had been determined. Entry and continuous assessment tools were worked out to accompany the courses.
With the help of the non-VET partners, the course and the assessment procedures were tested in real life. This made the fine-tuning of the curricula possible.
Having accumulated an impressive amount of experience in SME-focused research and activities the VET partners found the time appropriate to carry out a research on the possibility to set up an entrepreneurship centre in the heart of their institutions. Guidelines for the establishment of such centres were elaborated.
The activities of a robust dissemination work package were implemented all the way along the project’s lifetime. From traditional dissemination tools through multiplier events up to a variety of communication channels were applied.
Efforts were made to define follow-up activities and one of the outcomes, a new Erasmus+ proposal was elaborated, submitted, accepted and started already during the implementation of TRUST ME.

Results and impact
Research based innovative curricula were developed for future SME-mentors. Together with assessment procedures, a complete course was tested and finalised.
Guidelines for the establishment of an entrepreneurship centre in VET institutions were elaborated.
The transformation of mindset in the partner institutions can be pointed out. The notion of business mentor was introduces and spread around the SME milieu of the partners’ countries and around other stakeholder groups as well. Legislative and financial stakeholders are sensibilised for supporting SMEs helped by trained business mentors.

Longer-term benefits
The tools resulted from the project are token of adaptation and multiplication of SME mentor network development in other regions and countries. In order to benefit from synergic effects integrate these networks is a goal on long run as well. Already conceptualised follow-up activities are targeting this kind of long-term goals. Final, long-term beneficiaries of the project’s outcomes will be the SME populations of the partner regions and countries.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 253180,45 Eur

Project Coordinator

BUDAPESTI GAZDASAGI EGYETEM & Country: HU

Project Partners

• LAHDEN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY
• Fundatia Centrul de Dezvoltare Manageriala
• UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI
• ADINVEST INTERNATIONAL
• BUSINESSHUNGARY