Strategic partnership for AGRI-entrepreneurship and EcoInnovation Erasmus Project

Project Title

Strategic partnership for AGRI-entrepreneurship and EcoInnovation

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 higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Cooperation between educational institutions and business; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

AgriEco aims to build competitive knowledge-based youth milieu for developing agri-entrepreneurial potential and creativity competencies; to develop knowledge and skills to stimulate ecoinnovations as prioritized by the principles of the circular economy. Recognizing the developmental characteristics and mechanisms of the agri-market and labor environment, policy and economic conditions and factors, AgriEco will accumulate, assess and adapt proper initiatives in agri-entrepreneurship within the country-partners and shall enable sharing and development of innovative new tools, approaches and delivery methods in the field. AgriEco shall set the ground for a skilled and adaptable workforce with high-level qualifications and practically-based orientation; fostering the relationship between universities, business, NGOs, youth organizations and stimulating them for a wider participation in the practical realization of the HE students.
AgriEco teaching technique follows the experiential learning model, based around the idea: “Tell me, and I forget; show me, and I remember; involve me, and I understand”. Within the framework of the project it is expected to achieve the following results:
1. Offer accessible and flexible intensive training programme, coupled with blended mobility exchanges – theoretical and practical – for higher education students, to contribute to their chosen field of work, leading to real professional realization and job outcomes.
2. Encourage business to cooperate with higher education systems and establish efficient partnership to maintain balance between business needs and academic processes and to promote youth professional realization on the market.
3. Establish efficient relationships with stakeholders and increase strategic partnerships that support professional pathways of the young people e.g. mentor support and business coaching that will ensure sustainability of project achievements.
Project methodology is built upon the general idea of creating a comprehensive framework to encompass the developmental characteristics and mechanisms of the youth environment, policy and economic conditions and factors.
Work packages are planned as follows:
• WP 1 “Shaping a holistic model of educational approach towards agri-entrepreneurship and innovation”
• WP 2 “Comparative analysis of the stakeholders – successful examples at strategic and implementation level – TOWS analysis, possibility for win-win outcomes”
• WP 3 “Interregional capacity building and learning – address knowledge gaps using/sharing regionally situated expertise. Pilot testing of key learning modules”
• WP 4 “Intensive training session and blended training”
• WP 5 “Dissemination and valorization of results”
• WP 6 “Management”
Participating organizations will have the opportunity to share best practices, develop network opportunities, innovate training, teaching and learning processes, improve transversal skills and competencies, practices and opportunities. In addition will be developed and maintained relationships with employers to clearly communicate what is expected from the young people before start of their work experience. Consortium members will also benefit from strengthening their capacity in providing tools, instruments and content on students’ entrepreneurial culture and education and experience as well for their staff to work within this target field. Students will receive direct assistance in creating/developing their own businesses through receiving adequate agri-entrepreneurship training, counselling and coaching, and technical assistance. Further potential benefits for students include:
• gaining career readiness skills including the “soft skills” that employers look for in entry level workers;
• increasing one’s knowledge of specific occupational skills and workplace settings;
• establishing connections with employers that can aid in future job searches;
• developing an understanding of different occupations in order to make informed career choices.
AgriEco aspires to contribute to the needed of systemic change, where cross-sectoral collaboration align the higher education with the real industry and economic needs and identify areas where significant added value to the knowledge and learning, engagement of local authorities and business community at the European level will be achieved. Through the incorporated sustainability and transferability strategy, the AgriEco will:
• Ensure that the quality of high education and generated knowledge is in the heart of youth employment levels, regional economic and developmental policies and strategic priorities;
• Stimulate private sector to actively participate in educational process and evaluation of educational levels achieved;
• Improve students’ quality and expertize and declare their position of active citizens;
• Enhance students’ participation in building local economy;
• Increase opportunities for international student exchange.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 231230 Eur

Project Coordinator

TRAKIYSKI UNIVERSITET & Country: BG

Project Partners

• ZIP CENTAR ZA MLADE BIZNIS INKUBATOR DOO PIROT
• AGRAREN UNIVERSITET – PLOVDIV
• ZENTYR ZA IZSLEDVANE I ANALISI
• CANAKKALE ONSEKIZ MART UNIVERSITESI
• Pavlodar State Pedagogical University
• UNIVERSITY OF MACEDONIA