MINDS into MATTER – the “Book of Business” sustainable training tool in the tourist industry Erasmus Project

General information for the MINDS into MATTER – the “Book of Business” sustainable training tool in the tourist industry Erasmus Project

MINDS into MATTER – the “Book of Business” sustainable training tool in the  tourist industry Erasmus Project
July 7, 2020 12:00 am
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Project Title

MINDS into MATTER – the “Book of Business” sustainable training tool in the tourist industry

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: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

This project is about visualizing todays work for tomorrows sustainability.
“Minds into Matter – making BoB” is an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Programme Nr 2016 -1- IS01– KA202 – 01709, created and led by Step by Step Iceland. Five other partners collaborated in this 2-year project, from the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, and Spain. The project was based on Step by Step research work on the Tourist Rural Business Owners (Turbos) in Iceland and Ireland. From 2012, Step by Steps has conducted well over 200 in depth interviews with SME business to map and understand their situation, ideas, needs for future sustainability, future vision and profit as well as their interest for educations and training.
The basic idea of M & M project was to improve and extend the offer of high-quality learning opportunities (by developing the “Book of Business”- BoB and its methods) which was tailored to individual VET learners. BoB is therefore a training tool or instrument made jointly by Mentors and Turbos working together inside each business to create simple methods to make their businesses more sustainable and profitable. The project was based on two elements. Firstly, the adult learning approach by involving all participant in the main preparation of the project outputs like how to prepare, structure and describe BoB. This involvement was built upon the Andragogy approach by providing a good solid instruction, inspire people to collaborate and show people real life stories (the real lives of Turbos). Secondly, we worked in the field using anthropology method, inside the companies, creating respect, trust and a platform for understanding and mutual learning.
This we achieved by working inside the business with the business owners, asking and exploring, documenting and describing what they are doing in order to visualize their ideology, methodology and involvement in the established business in the rural tourist field. In this work, we manage to pick “the software from their minds “to “visual hardware “and that’s became the bone-structure of BoB.

Hence, each BoB was expected to contain how each entrepreneur (Turbo) has established, developed and run their business in their own different and unique way. By capturing the Turbo´s experiences and making them visible in print and/or on-line, BoB served three purposes. Firstly, the Turbo´s become more aware of how and why they have run their business in the way they have done and at the same time makes it easier to make changes were needed for future development. Secondly, BoB becomes a tool that makes the how and why of running the business visible and so helps to make training new employees quicker and easier. Thirdly, each BoB becomes a legacy that can be handed down to next generation or if a Turbo decides to sell its business. BoB can therefore be used to give a detailed account of the business which will make it more sellable. Hence the Turbos become more professional and finally can act as role models for other businesses, and especially for young entrepreneurs.

In this M&M project we created 14 main BoB´s within 14 very different businesses in terms of size, employees, budget etc. in 6 different countries. Anything from small rural business to a big hotel chain. In the bigger companies, we also made “sub-BoB´s” that is to say smaller BoB´s that are used to help with running and training within a certain department e.g. laundry department in a big hotel. BoB has a simple and smart bone structure, that can be used in all kinds of businesses. The fact that BoB is based “on-line” gives the users the flexibility to upgrade and change their business procedure in a very short time and it is as well a tool that is easy to share and disseminate to other businesses.
We are convinced that our choice of working methods in this project has had the strongest impact on all involved partners. This approach has also proven to be a good path to try to weave together very different partners with wide experience and working attitudes. In the beginning, we had many doubts if this was feasible, bringing together such different people – mentors and Turbos, often with very different experience and background. However, this turned out be very good approach to change adult people’s views toward lifelong learning as well a possible way to move people and businesses from a certain trajectory they sometimes are stuck in.

We as a consortium, have a vision that this work, creating BoB as a sustainable training tools in the labour market can become a part of adult business owner’s reality. This project fosters a fine approach, showing an innovative way to implement new skills and building bridges between the labour market and the formal educations.

If you are interested you can read more about our project on our website: http://mindsintomatters.eu
Or Facebook page: Minds into Matters, Making BOB, Erasmus + Project
https://www.facebook.com/Mindsintomatters/?pnref=lhc

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 203310 Eur

Project Coordinator

Skref fyrir Skref ehf / Step by step & Country: IS

Project Partners

  • Kurybiniu iniciatyvu centras
  • Stowarzyszenie Edukacji Rolniczej i Lesnej EUROPEA Polska
  • Tenerife Job Training S.L.
  • EESTI PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
  • Hotelova skola, Vyssi odborna skola hotelnictvi a turismu a Jazykova skola s pravem statni jazykove zkousky, Podebrady, Komenskeho 156/III