Reaching the Lost Generation Erasmus Project

Project Title

Reaching the Lost Generation

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 addressing more than one field

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Originally, the phrase ‘Lost Generation’ was used to describe the generation that came of age during World War I. But since the financial crisis of 2008 young people with limited employment and career prospects, have also been described as members of a ‘New Lost Generation’. An OECD report of 2012 warned that due to their lack of skills, motivation and self-worth this ‘lost generation’ might have difficulties in entering the workforce even when the recession ends and demand for employees is higher. (OECD Employment Outlook, 2012)
The project addressed the issue of the very high number of young people between the ages of 16-24 who are not, or are at risk of not being in employment or training, by developing entrepreneurial skills in hard-to-help groups across the four countries participating in the project. This project looked at the development of an educational programme that can help to promote the entrepreneurial skills of disadvantaged young people in the widest sense, moving them from reactive to proactive behaviours.
The main applicant, EDUNET Foundation has experience with major projects and programs which can be connected with the subject of this project. The foundation has taken part in a number of projects the aims of which included development of social and entrepreneurial skills. EDUNET mainly focuses on research and development and has a large number of cooperating schools and other organisations that can be inolved in practical activities connected to its projects.
The Department of Entrepreneurship and Spatial Management of Pedagogical University of Cracow is responsible for entrepreneurial education. They organise forums of knowledge and experience exchange on teaching methods in entrepreneurship and other economic subjects, the confrontation of views of academic teachers, methodical advisers and school teachers on the goals, content and teaching methods in entrepreneurship.
Euro-Trainings Centre, the German partner have many years of experience in managing bridge-projects between school and employment. Their target group is hard-to-help young people. They are familiar with the requirements of companies, education and labour market. They take part in further training processes, network developments and professional workshops concerning the qualification of migrants, communal bridge-programs, cooperation with municipalities and chambers.
Train’d Up is a training company with wide experience in focusing on training initiatives for young people aged between 16- 24, and work with NEET groups and BAME groups. They have been involved in a large number of pan UK projects working with partners developing the skills of young people, whether this be basic numeracy and literacy, inter-personal and interview skills, vocational qualifications or apprenticeships. One of the key persons had been also involved in FIFOBI (Fit For Business) project.
Based on the foundation study made at the beginning of the project and all the empirical experience of the project partners, the development process started according to the project plan, basically. After that ten competence areas featuring entrepreneurial skills, were identified by the project team. Based on that an assessment tool focussing on the active involvement of participants was created next. In parallel, the elaboration of activities developing the necessary competences started. The compilation of the tools assessing both personal and social skills also started at the same time. All materials are available in four languages (English, German, Hungarian and Polish). Once the three assessment tools were ready to try, testing processes began in each partner country one after the other. Feedbacks were systematically collected and analysed, thus, experiences of testing the assessment tools as well as learning and teaching materials were used to improve them. At the end of the project a foundation study, three assessment tools, a collection of 148 activities aiming at the development of the ten competence areas mentioned above, a follow-up guide and a final study are available as outputs of the project.
All partners have disseminated RLG in the widest possible circle and will responsibly work for the sustainability of it. Several agreements with different organisations will guarantee that. The programme will certainly be part of the day-to-day activities of ETC, which systematically supports the activities of NEET young people. The testing organisations will carry on the programme in Hungary and new ones are also starting using it. In Poland, RLG has been integrated into a university further education programme for professionals teaching entrepreneurship.
RLG programme will be incorporated in Scotland into the activities of a training firm run by the Scottish project partner. The RLG activities will also be used as part of the Scottish Government’s Developing the Young Workforce programme with school pupils and in vocational colleges.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 404271 Eur

Project Coordinator

EDUNET Alapítvány & Country: HU

Project Partners

• Euro-Trainings-Centre ETC e. V.
• UNIWERSYTET PEDAGOGICZNY IM KOMISJI EDUKACJI NARODOWEJ W KRAKOWIE
• Train’d Up Railway Resourcing Limited