Migrapreneurs – Entrepreneurial and Intrapreneurial Mindset Development for Highly Skilled Migrants in Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Migrapreneurs – Entrepreneurial and Intrapreneurial Mindset Development for Highly Skilled Migrants 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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Migrants’ issues; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

Migrapreneurs is a consortium of 5 partners from the UK, France, Turkey & Spain, all committed to promoting entrepreneurship and employability skills and with a specific interest in supporting migrants in our communities and at a European level.

Skills mismatch can contribute to unemployment and may reduce productivity and competitiveness. It appears in various forms such as skill shortages or gaps, but also applies to situations where the qualifications, knowledge and skills of an individual exceed the requirements of their job. ‘Vertical’ mismatch, commonly referred to as over-education, occurs when an individual is employed in a job, which requires a lower level of education. Migrant workers are more likely to experience over-qualification. With the worsening refugee and migrant crisis across Europe and linked negative media coverage, partners in Migrapreneurs came together in 2016 to begin work, which could contribute to overcoming this issue.
The Migrapreneurs partnership believes that we, as an EC community, need to make sure that we make the most of migrants’ skills and education and show the benefits they bring. Erasmus+ guidelines (2016) were updated to address issues around social cohesion and the integration of migrants. “Education and youth work are key to prevent violent radicalisation by promoting common European values, fostering social integration, enhancing intercultural understanding and a sense of belonging to a community.”

Migrapreneurs aimed to contribute to this priority through the development of entrepreneurial and employability training and resources, which could help Europe to make the most of its highly skilled migrants and, as a result, enhance social inclusion and intercultural understanding. Migrants and people from ethnic minorities represent a considerable pool for entrepreneurship.

The overall objective of Migrapreneurs was to better utilise the skills that highly skilled migrants bring into partner countries by fostering an entrepreneurial/intrapreneurial mindset within the target group. Through the project, we have provided an initial group of 152 migrants with the necessary skills and knowledge to improve their chances of finding employment that matches their skills and experiences or start a business instead. Through our other resources and sustainability work, we will continue to help that number grow. We have completed the following activities:
1/ Reports (National and European) on the training needs of highly skilled migrants to develop entrepreneurial mindsets
2/ Development of a Training Programme – “Entrepreneurial Journey for Highly Skilled Migrants”, including the delivery of the programme as pilots in the UK, France, Spain and Turkey with 152 participants.
3/ Development of a Training the Trainers Guide to accompany the “Entrepreneurial Journey for Highly Skilled Migrants” training programme
4/ Development of a guide entitled, “Transferring your Skills into Self-Employment: A Guide for Highly Skilled Migrants”.
5/ Development of a Policy Guide entitled, “Developing Entrepreneurial and Intrapreneurial Mindsets: A Guide for Working with Highly Skilled Migrants”.
6/ Development of an E-Learning Hub providing access to a wider range of resources developed by the project as well as links to wider sources of information and support.

The project has been successful in working directly with the main target group of un/under-employed Highly Skilled Migrants (those with a degree level or above qualification), who have been supported through the project to develop their skills and knowledge in terms of entrepreneurship/employability. Migrapreneurs provided access to specifically tailored training for over 150 members of the target group, which has helped them to develop their skills and knowledge of entrepreneurship and employability skills through both soft and hard skills units that helped them to understand whether entrepreneurship was right for them and, if so, to develop a business plan. 91% of participants reported that they felt more confident in their entrepreneurial skills following the programme. 91% said they were either ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to develop their start-up because of the training.

“The programme improved my negotiation, communication and problem-solving skills.”

“The programme helped me be more creative and innovative.”

“This program brought together an eclectic group of migrants and it was a real pleasure to
see and experience the development of such diverse projects in addition to my own. Migrapreneurs
taught me about business and diversity in a rich intercultural and fun way”

All the materials and resources produced by the Migrapreneurs project (www.migrapreneurs.fr) are freely available online and will continue to be maintained after the project so both migrants themselves and those working to support them, can continue to access our tools and use them to help more individuals grow and develop.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 301878,92 Eur

Project Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD & Country: UK

Project Partners

• INOVA CONSULTANCY LTD
• ELAN INTERCULTUREL
• MAKRO YONETIM GELISTIRME DANISMANLIK LIMITED SIRKETI
• AGENCIA PARA EL EMPLEO DE MADRID