Digital technology for pathways to entrepreneurial skills Erasmus Project

Project Title

Digital technology for pathways to entrepreneurial skills

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Access for disadvantaged; Social entrepreneurship / social innovation; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

> Context/background:

This project is focused on competences, qualification and endorsement frameworks and partners will connect existing entrepreneurial adult education programmes for disadvantaged adults with fewer opportunities. They will use entrepreneurial frameworks to recognise, endorse, and acknowledge prior learning, on the job learning and learning in the educational programmes using Open Badges digital technology.

This project is based on supporting adults who often developed specific hard skills, have entrepreneurial knowledge, but lack the right entrepreneurial skills to make an effective business or find the right job around their competences and support themselves on personal and career level.

This project will be Improving and extending the supply of high quality learning opportunities for adults by making available flexible learning offers adapted to their learning needs (e.g. blended learning, digital learning applications), and by the validation of skills acquired through informal and non-formal learning.

> Objectives:

To develop capacity of partner organisations to use Open Badges technology to assess, validate and recognise entrepreneurial skills and attitudes of adult learners;
To develop endorsement schemes for adult education programmes, especially for adult learners with fewer opportunities;
To create new adult learning opportunities by utilising and developing digital technology solutions available on the Cities of Learning platform;
To promote new adult learning opportunities in participating countries and at the European level.

> Participant:

Participants of the adult education programmes carried out by the partners:
– unemployed, non- or undereducated young adults, adults who not yet recognise their prior learning, have an entrepreneurial attitude and need better guidance into becoming an entrepreneur.
– refugees who are mid- and high educated residents and newcomers but they are lacking the right certificates to enter the labour market.

Staff members partner organisations:
– trainers, adult educators, social workers
– project managers, staff, communication specialists, policy makers

> Description of activities:

Intellectual output “Entrepreneurial skills pathways for adult learners”
Intellectual output “Endorsement schemes for entrepreneurial skills”
Intellectual output“Skills pathways and endorsement functionality on Cities of Learning platform”

Staff training on digital technology for pathways to entrepreneurial skills
Study visit on adult learning pathways to entrepreneurial skills
Study visit on endorsement schemes for entrepreneurial skills

Local and international multiplier events

> Methodology:

Adult education, design thinking, skills pathways, Open Badges, Cities of Learning framework, skills endorsement, agile development approach.

> Results:

– developed capacity of partner organisations and their staff members to use Open Badges technology to assess, validate and recognise entrepreneurial skills and attitudes of adult learners.
– exchanged best practices of adult education programmes focused on entrepreneurial mindset development, especially with adults from inclusions groups;
– created new digital pathways to entrepreneurial development using open badges technology;
– developed skills pathways and endorsement functionality on the Cities of Learning platform;
– created media content and resources to promote new adult learning opportunities in participating countries and at the European level

> Impact:

– adult learners putting their knowledge, skills and attitudes into actions
– adult learners are self-starting to find a job (‘employability’) or to start a business;
– adult education organisations may change their approach to teaching and learning;
– societal change and social inclusion;
– economic growth – because of the new entrepreneurs and new ‘intrapreneurs’,
(adding value to existing businesses as an entrepreneurial skilled employees)

> Longer term benefits:
Our project results will contribute to reaching local, regional, national and European policy objectives. As such, services bringing added value and quality to adult education and entrepreneurial education will remain of high importance at least for the next couple of years, specifically due to the Covid-19 situation where Europe needs entrepreneurial attitudes and skills, making our project relevant over a longer period of time.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 230121 Eur

Project Coordinator

STICHTING BREAKTHROUGH FOUNDATION & Country: NL

Project Partners

• VIESOJI ISTAIGA CREATIVITAS
• Skills-Connect
• Fundacja Instytut Re-Integracji Spolecznej
• Badgecraft Ireland Limited
• Asociatia Youthopolis