Author: enneproject

A university-led good practice whereby university faculty reaches out to secondary education to impart knowledge in an attractive field of science

University lecturers visit the secondary schools and make presentations that aim to introduce students to systems based on microcontrollers, Programmable Logic Controllers and mobile robots – the main concepts, devices and their application, the logic of programming. During these presentations, theoretical and conceptual issues are made easier to understand by live demonstration with programmable devices and models. At the end of the activity, the students are given the opportunity to test the devices and models that are used during the demonstrations.
Demonstrations are an essential element of the activity since they capture students’ attention.
The activity achieves its impact in two ways:
– Students are attracted to STEM through interesting topics and the opportunity to engage in hands-on exercises
– Students have the chance to meet researchers and ask questions related to the discipline in which they are interested in or inquire about what it is like to be a scientist.

Photos from a school visit – lecture with demonstration of equipment, and hands-on activities for students

The activity targets students from secondary vocational schools. However, some of the visits were attended by pupils from elementary schools, too. Indirectly, it also targets teachers at the same schools.
Organization
For the activity to be commenced in a particular school, the head of the relevant Department or the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Electronics has to establish contact with the director of the vocational high school. The contact can be initiated by either side. There is no department or staff member responsible for this activity. On the side of Technical University – Gabrovo, the organization boils down to identification of the lecturer(s) that will visit the school. The lecturer is responsible for preparing for the lecture itself.
A list of lessons with brief annotations is sent to the vocational school beforehand. The details are negotiated with the receiving school so as to fit the interest of the students and teachers. From the side of the school, the negotiation involves the school director and the teachers in the relevant subject. Typically, it is teachers that are consulted on the topics and details of the presentation and the demonstrations.
The vocational school is responsible for providing a lecture hall and for inviting the students to participate in the activity. The leading role in organizing student participation is played by teachers in the relevant subject.
Higher education students’ involvement in the activity.
In some lectures, university students are also included in the team of lecturers. This greatly increases the effectiveness of the activity and the impact on the secondary school students because young researchers can establish a more effective connection with high school students and serve as role models.
Sustainability
This activity has been conducted for 10 years at various schools in Bulgaria. It faces no serious issues of sustainability since it does not require much financing or special equipment. It can always be continued at the request of a school or a new collaboration with a new school can be established if there is interest on the part of the school. Maintaining links to vocational high schools is a long-lasting tradition of Technical University – Gabrovo. Thus, the activity has always been considered compatible with the development strategy of the university.
Financial sustainability
The activity is funded by Technical University – Gabrovo. The participating lecturers are paid travel expenses, each lecture counts as 4 hours of work. The equipment used for the demonstrations is taken from the laboratories of the university.

Impact
Every year, Technical University – Gabrovo organizes around 15 such educational outreach activities at different schools. In each activity, between 20 and 40 students are present. Unfortunately, due to the limited time available for the lectures and the demonstrations, the impact of the activity has not been formally assessed. The general feeling among teachers and lecturers involved is that students show interest in the topics and hence, it could be expected that the activity also sparks interest for a science career. All in all, this is a practical low-key method of maintaining continuous relationship between universities and schools and exposing students to scientific information and new technological advances. It allows students from high schools that are not endowed with sophisticated equipment to work with such equipment, even if for a short time period.
Factors for success
For the activity to be successful, the following factors have been important:
– The activity has been perceived as part of a long-term strategy of the University to connect with secondary schools in the region
– The success of the activity strongly depends on the relations between the university and the recipient school being characterised by long-term cooperation. This allows the university staff and the school teachers to design and deliver lectures with demonstrations on a variety of topics, often linking these lectures to the compulsory curriculum
– The activity’s relevance increases when the lecturers maintain continuous contact with the relevant teachers in order to determine the interest and the level of prior knowledge of the target students. This can make sure that the participating students benefit from the activity and that the activity can be used to upgrade knowledge received in the classroom

More such good practices can be found at the webpage of DISCOVER project.

English News

Thinking outside the box

Which concrete experiences from and with mobility projects have managers and teachers in German VET gained? The German partner in the ENNE team, Wisamar, enquired.

What are the chances of mobility for learners, vocational schools and companies? Can you give examples from your practice that have worked very well? And in your experience, what are the main difficulties in organising and implementing mobilities? These are some of the questions, which Wisamar asked to actors in German vocational schools, who are responsible for European exchange projects there.

Coming back with more self-confidence

The interviewees agree that there are many advantages for VET students who complete a mobility abroad. It is a very important experience for young people and their personal development. In general, they come back more worldly and open-minded. “They simply think outside the box,” says a vocational school teacher from Flensburg. “They gain flexibility and self-confidence and then also appear much more confident in the workplace. In addition, they generally improve their language skills, of course, which is also a great advantage for their training company. On the other hand, the chance of a stay abroad increases the attractiveness of the apprenticeship place: “Knowing that I will participate in a mobility during my training makes it much more interesting, of course,” explains one interviewee.

For some of the VET students, the work placement is their first stay in a foreign country. Erasmus+ also enables trainees from families with lower incomes to do an internship abroad. The number of people who go abroad for an internship after finishing their vocational training is increasing, according to the mobility adviser from a business school, because immediately afterwards they have the opportunity to stay longer in another country. During a two to four-week stay abroad, the trainees did not always learn a lot of new things in their profession, “but afterwards they are better equipped to assert themselves in unfamiliar situations.”

Experience enrichment as a host company

Vocational training staff or students do not always have to go abroad to broaden their horizons, emphasizes an interviewee from Leipzig. Visits to one’s own institution by vocational trainers and trainees from other countries are always an enrichment and variety in the daily routine. And sometimes they bring a breath of fresh air into the company where they are doing their internship abroad: One interviewee told us that Italian trainees developed the social media presence for their German host company and then explained and showed it to their German colleagues.

The motivation to organise mobilities despite all obstacles and difficulties stems from the enthusiasm and excitement of the trainees returning from their mobility, explained a vocational school teacher from Pinneberg. The students often do not see the negative points at all or find a way to turn them into positive learning experiences and actively use their time abroad.

Suitable internships, legal framework and huge responsibility

But what are the problems faced by Erasmus+ actors? Finding really suitable placements for trainees is difficult, many of the interviewees’ stress. Some schools work with intermediary organisations in other countries and are not always satisfied with the quality of the placements allocated. The placements often did not really fit the profile of the trainees. This sometimes leads to frustration among the trainees, according to the teacher from Pinneberg.

Another interviewee said that the main obstacle in organising mobility is the different legal regulations of the countries. In Sweden, for example, it is not allowed to work without payment, and it has to be clarified that trainees receive a scholarship, etc. Someone has to take responsibility for organising everything, including planning the trip and booking tickets and accommodation. This is very time-consuming. Furthermore, it is a huge responsibility as an accompanying teacher when traveling with a group of VET students, emphasises an experienced vocational school teacher. “It took a load off my mind every time when everyone was safely back at their home station.” A well-designed programme is also very important, she says, that does not overburden the pupils and does not overestimate their independence. Many of them have never been away from home alone, have never used a plane or travelled far away.

Exemption by the partner companies

However, not only the organisation of the stay and programme abroad is perceived as challenging, but also the cooperation with the partner companies in Germany, where the young people complete the practical part of their training, is not always easy. According to the experience of one vocational school teacher interviewed, the partner companies are not so interested in sending their trainees abroad. Although the stay abroad often takes place during the trainees’ school time and not during their time in the company, one company has already opposed this so that not too many lessons are missed. It happens again and again that apprentices take leave in order to be able to participate in a mobility. It should be normal that apprentices receive an official leave of absence from the company for their mobility.

Special challenge COVID19

This year, COVID19 of course made it very difficult to carry out mobilities: Many of the planned stays abroad were cancelled or, if possible, postponed until 2021. Only few individual mobilities are still taking place. Due to the situation, those who still want to do their internship abroad prefer to travel to neighbouring countries like Denmark or Austria. They don’t want to be too far away from home. Two interview partners from VET schools stated that the willingness to participate in mobilities has decreased among trainees and VET staff due to the COVID 19 pandemic. They don’t want to take such risks. Other reasons were liability and the question of who is responsible if mobilities cannot take place as planned. That is why everything is being planned with reservations. It needs to be avoided that trainees would be burdened with the costs if the mobility cannot take place. Another interviewee stated that the trainees themselves still wanted to go abroad, but that their companies in Germany as well as host companies in the other countries are more hesitant.

The companies’ view

In addition to this brief insight into mobility experiences of vocational training institutions in Germany, the next ENNE newsletter will present the viewpoint of companies, represented by various Chambers of Industry and Commerce and Chambers of Crafts. Wisamar has also talked to some representatives – so stay tuned!

English News

Teaching on the net: Digitisation as a Resource

Post author By enneproject
Post date 30 September 2020
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The Italian Chamber of Commerce for Germany ITCAM, an associated ENNE partner, will participate in four virtual events organised by DIDACTA ITALIA and dedicated to the world of school.

Under the motto “Extraordinary events require extraordinary changes”, an overview of the transformation of school over the past year will be given on 13 and 14 October 2020, between 3 and 7 pm. ITCAM, which is also a member of the organising committee of DIDACTA ITALIA, will present a video on e-learning during the webinar “Teaching on the Net: Digitalisation as a Resource” (13/10/2020, 5 pm). It compares the practical implementation of online teaching in different European countries.

The webinars are free of charge, more information (in Italian) here.

English News

Role Models for VET: Stories from the shooting sessions

Post author By enneproject
Post date 29 September 2020
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How to inspire people to participate in an Erasmus mobility? How to create something so engaging that people cannot say no to living and working/studying abroad?

At this point, it is already known the main goals of the ENNE project and that it truly believes in the power of Erasmus as a fundamental aspect for the professional and personal development of individuals. To better demonstrate this, the ENNE project has planned the realization of Role Model videos.

In a broader concept, Role Models come from all walks of life and professional backgrounds and their experiences can serve as examples to young people struggling to find a place in society or tempted by easy shortcuts.

The main goal of the Role Model Videos within ENNE project is to inspire young people in their learning paths and encourage them in taking part in a mobility experience, but also to promote VET Teachers’ participation in Erasmus + mobilities and foster communication and cooperation between VET providers, as well as to promote VET quality and attractiveness also for companies, which are important stakeholders for WBL experiences.

In order to do this, 15 video-interviews (3 per country) are being produced by project partners. These videos should be a positive reflection on the impact of transnational mobility projects on VET learners, staff and hosting companies.

At this moment, Arts & Skills from Portugal already filmed all the interviews, and what an amazing experience it was! The first interview was with the student Cátia Silva. She was a student of the vocational course of Marketing Technician from the Francisco de Holanda Secondary School. In 2018, she had the opportunity to go to Reggio Calabria, Italy, for an internship of 3 months in a local company. Throughout the interview, it was possible to see and feel her enthusiasm. With emotion in her eyes, Cátia told us the stories from her experience, from the moment of her arrival in Italy, the conviviality with her colleagues, the welcoming environment from the company to all the memories she was able to build. It is certain that all of this will remain forever in her memory.

We proceed to the second interview: the hosting company Plantas da Fonte. It is a gardening company located in Guimarães and has been working with Arts & Skills for quite some time. From the interview with the tutor, it is clear that they could not be happier with the experience. For them, the most outstanding aspects are the knowledge and skills that the students acquire in school and their willingness to work and learn more. It is certainly a rewarding experience for the company and for all its employees, who still keep in touch with some of the learners that they welcomed throughout the years.

For the last video, the interview with Guiomar Silva, the director of the School Group of Arrifana. When she was asked to do this interview, she immediately said yes! As you all will see in the video, she is so passionate and dedicated to her Erasmus+ projects. We were all fascinated with her stories and how she loves to see the impact of Erasmus in the life of her students and teachers. This is truly is an excellent example of how mobility activities influence a school and all the community around it.

We will not tell more because we are saving it for the videos, but we can tell you that you will be inspired to write your Erasmus project, to receive an Erasmus student in your company, or to go abroad on an Erasmus adventure!

See you soon!

Belgian news

Erasmus Duaal

Erasmus Duaal is a rather atypical Erasmus+ KA1 project. It attracts participants from various training programmes (such as hospitality and catering, care or construction) and from all over the country. Most of them do not know each other until they find themselves abroad together: their schools are not official project partners themselves, but they have an agreement with project promoter SYNTRA Vlaanderen.

In the spring of 2018 and 2019, 96 Flemish dual learners from 14 Flemish schools did a two-week work placement in 9 different countries. In the same period, 32 pupils from abroad were welcomed in Flanders.

For the Spring of 2020, for 84 candidates had been found work placements abroad, but COVID-19 made the mobilities impossible. Hopefully, part of them will be able to go abroad in October 2020.

Boosting professional and personal skills

During their stay abroad, participants have an opportunity to develop specific professional and technical skills and generic work skills at the placement company, to improve their knowledge of a foreign language and to follow a sociocultural programme developed by SYNTRA Vlaanderen’s foreign partners. Learning often goes both ways: ‘The greatest experience was when I was able to teach the Estonians to make fries. When they were ready, a dozen people immediately gathered around the bowl of fries’ (Nick, Cook, Estonia). Back in Belgium, participants take on an ambassador role in their classroom, school or training centre, where they help promote the importance of the international dimension and international mobility in their own organisation and region.

An empowering experience

The feedback is very positive:

the large majority of participants are (very) satisfied with their experience, and would participate in another work placement abroad in the future. They would also recommend participation to their peers;
many find that the project has boosted their personal development: ‘I’ve learned how to stay organised in a foreign country where they speak a foreign language. Usually, around strangers, I’m a shy person, afraid to take up a leadership role. But now I was very willing to take the lead and guide my fellow Erasmus students. […]’ (Joyce, sales person, Scotland, UK);
they also point out the opportunity to meet new people and to experience/explore other cultures and habits, while also working on team spirit within their own group. ‘I’ve tasted a bit of another culture. […] It’s an adventure I’ll never forget!’ (Lien, Care, Netherlands)

Almost all participants received an – often (very) positive – Europass mobility document, signed by the placement company: ‘This is an empowering experience for these young people, who really come into their own. And the Europass mobility document will be a great reference later in their careers.’ (Maarten, Flemish supervisor, Italy).

More info: Erasmus Duaal (in Dutch)

SYNTRA Vlaanderen is the Flemish Agency for Entrepreneurial Training and is responsible, among other things, for the recognition of the Flemish placement companies. SYNTRA Vlaanderen is a member of CONNECTIEF vzw, the Flemish ENNE-partner.

German news

From start to finish – successfully managing European VET mobility projects

Post author By enneproject
Post date 31 August 2020
No Comments on From start to finish – successfully managing European VET mobility projects

The whole ENNE partnership is currently working on the implementation of the MOOC on European Mobility in VET. We would like to take you along on our journey to develop this Open Educational Resource, which will support you in managing your own mobility projects.

So what is a MOOC?

This abbreviation stands for Massive Open Online Course, a learning course on the internet for an unlimited amount of participants with an open access, so that anyone interested in a topic can learn more about it. The active participation of the learners is guaranteed through interactive activities like quizzes and games or the possibility to get into an exchange with other learners in forums.

What can you learn in our MOOC?

The aim of our MOOC is to give you a straightforward starting point into the world of European mobility projects and how to manage them. We will guide you through the whole life cycle of a project. Starting with an introduction into the Erasmus+ funding programme and an overview of involved actors, we continue with the application and project implementation until the finalisation of a mobility project. You will learn what makes a good and reliable partner and how and where to find them. We will facilitate you in establishing an internationalisation strategy for your organisation. You will be able to go through the different implementation phases of selecting beneficiaries, prepare them for their stay, monitor their learning pathway and validate what they have learned. The project cycle ends with the evaluation of the project and the reporting.

The units are structured in short text and video inputs with interactive activities in order to deepen your knowledge and foster reflecting on your own context. We will for example support you with guiding questions in formulating your project idea and by this prepare important parts for your application. Besides, you can find in the MOOC practical checklists, downloadable resources and further links. Furthermore, you will be able to exchange with other participants about your approach, experiences and views on different mobility related questions.

Everything starts with an idea, which in our case had already been outlined in the application for the ENNE project. Based on contents developed within the projects “European Knowledge Centre for Mobility I & II”, the German partner Wisamar developed the course structure around the life cycle of the project and drafted the contents to be included. This structure has been adapted and improved with the support of the whole partnership and their feedback in discussions and reviews. It could then be enhanced with the detailed content. To illustrate the information numerous animated and real videos were scripted before scenes could be shot, animations developed and the video materials edited.

The technical work on the MOOC is underway. The skeleton of the English version of the course is finished and most parts of the content are already included. We are currently filling the gaps and adding interactive activities in order for the course to be more practical and motivating for you. To add interactivity we are using H5P, which offers a lot of opportunities like drag and drop exercises, multiple choice, timelines or summarizing activities. Since we want to provide the MOOC in several languages, over the summer the partners started with the localisation of the contents, including the development of video material in their languages.

We are very excited and looking forward to present you the finalized MOOC very soon. We will keep you updated!

German news

Recording of the webinars on the new Erasmus+ accreditation

Post author By enneproject
Post date 31 August 2020
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In recent weeks, the German National Agency offered several online events to inform about the new accreditation procedure for Erasmus+. The recordings of these webinars are now available.

Due to the Corona Pandemic, the National Agency Education for Europe at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (NA at BIBB) had to conduct the planned information events on the new Erasmus+ programme online. The recordings of these webinars are now available, both from the introductory information event on the application for accreditation in vocational education and training as well as from the following question-and-answer session. Both recordings are divided thematically so that relevant information, e.g. on the application form itself, on the Erasmus-Plan or on the follow-up process, can be found and viewed directly.

German news

School goes on – European exchange too?

Post author By enneproject
Post date 31 August 2020
No Comments on School goes on – European exchange too?

With the start of the new school year, exchange projects and mobilities were supposed to be prepared and implemented in many institutions. What is possible and what is not? What are the general conditions? The Pedagogical Exchange Service (PAD) in Germany provides an overview and help on their website.

The impairments for European exchange programs caused by the corona virus and the associated travel and contact restrictions accompany us into the new school and training year. On the website of the Pedagogical Exchange Service (PAD) of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs [website] you will find a lot of information – both on formal aspects such as Erasmus+ contract changes and cancellations, on current entry requirements and the regulations or recommendations of the individual German states, as well as on alternative approaches and possibilities to stay in contact and exchange with European partners despite the situation. At the same time, a large number of online seminars have been compiled on precisely these topics: from accreditation for the new Erasmus+ program to TwinSpace training courses and the creative design of video conferences.

Bulgarian news

Promoting VET Teachers’ Mental Health and Wellbeing

Post author By enneproject
Post date 28 August 2020
No Comments on Promoting VET Teachers’ Mental Health and Wellbeing

The problem of teachers’ wellbeing has been recently brought to the forefront of the agenda for improving quality of vocational education and training in Europe. There is a growing recognition that for teaching and learning to be effective, teachers should have high levels of wellbeing (OECD, 2018). The latest research, however, proves that teachers’ wellbeing is an issue of concern. In the UK, more than 75% of educational professionals, including those in the VET sector, experience work-related behavioural, psychological or physical symptoms. 57% of teachers and 63% of senior leaders have considered leaving the profession within the past two years (Teacher Wellbeing Index 2018). The numbers are not much different for other European countries. If unaddressed, the issue of poor wellbeing in schools would leave the educational systems in the EU without qualified and motivated staff, so needed for the development of the younger generation in the age of rising global competition.

When national VET systems are struggling to recruit new teachers and retain their existing staff, VET teachers’ wellbeing has been an unfairly neglected topic (CEDEFOP, 2004, 2016; Boldrini & Sappa, 2017). In addition to the stress factors common to all levels of education, VET teachers face specific adversities, which have negative effect on their wellbeing. These include: undervalued image of the VET sector; unattractive career pathways for teachers; poor vocational motivation of students; ongoing changes in national VET systems due to harmonization processes at EU level; continuous changes in VET content due to rapid development of science & technology. The analysis of existing teacher wellbeing support schemes in partners’ countries, however, shows a lack of professional development opportunities for teachers to build the skills they need to deal effectively with adversities in the workplace.

The VET-WELL project seeks to address this issue and sets the overall objective to equip educational professionals in the VET sector with resources and skills to deal effectively with the challenges of their work environment and to create a positive mental health and wellbeing culture in their schools.

The specific objectives of the project are:

Develop a conceptual framework for teachers’ wellbeing in VET
Design a comprehensive professional development programme aimed at strengthening skills supporting VET teachers’ wellbeing
Create an interactive self-reflection and e-learning environment supporting professional development of VET teachers
Facilitate wide adoption and implementation of the wellbeing support programme in various VET contexts
Raise awareness among education stakeholders of teachers’ mental health and wellbeing in VET

During the project life-cycle, the following major results will be achieved:

Output 1: Framework for Teachers’ Wellbeing in VET that will identify specific skills supporting teachers’ wellbeing (incl. life skills and pedagogical skills)
Output 2: Professional development programme, aimed at strengthening skills that VET teachers need to effectively manage their own wellbeing and to improve their self-efficacy in the classroom
Output 3: Interactive Self-Reflection and E-Learning Tool allowing VET teachers to reflect upon their “wellbeing skills” and to create a personalized professional development pathway
Output 4: Guidebook for improving VET Teachers’ Wellbeing in VET that will provide precise recommendations for improving mental health and wellbeing of teachers in VET schools through implementation of a dedicated professional development programme

The project is targeted at: VET professionals (teachers, lecturers, trainers, mentors, senior leaders) and school psychologists; Professionals in initial teacher education and continuous professional development of teachers; Aspiring teachers and student teachers; Representatives of organisations dealing with/ promoting mental health and wellbeing in VET.

About 600 VET professionals and experts in the fields of VET, teacher training, mental health and wellbeing will be involved directly in the project activities and events, such as surveys, focus group interviews, pilot training workshops and promotional conferences. In addition, we intend to reach at least 5000 project stakeholders through targeted dissemination of the project results.

We hope the new professional development programme delivered by the VET-WELL project will help VET teachers to strengthen their resilience and to improve their self-efficacy in the classroom. This, in turn, will help to create positive learning environment, improve students’ engagement and learning outcomes, and contribute to the culture of wellbeing in VET schools. Improved self-efficacy and wellbeing of teachers will eventually result in improved job satisfaction and retention – a social change from which VET systems in European countries stand to benefit greatly.

Bulgarian news

Entrepreneurship in school education in Bulgaria

Post author By enneproject
Post date 28 August 2020
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Context of entrepreneurship teaching in Bulgaria Entrepreneurship is among the most important factors for building and developing a market economy.
Within EU, entrepreneurship and training thereon are considered to be a crucial aspect for the community’s prosperity. Over the last few years, talk has increased of entrepreneurship throughout education, starting from the first school years. Following an ordinance issued in Bulgaria, 20 general education school subjects were introduced for primary education, including the “Technologies and Entrepreneurship” subject, divided into several stages. Classes begin in first grade and continue up to twelfth grade included, in accordance with the students’ level. Preparation is done by means of specialized subjects. The mandatory entrepreneurship classes are Entrepreneurship and Information
Technologies or Entrepreneurship and Geography and Economics.

Why is it important to start teaching entrepreneurship at an early age?
Entrepreneurship is a crucial element of XXI-century skills. Through it, students develop the skills needed
not only in terms of school subjects, but also basic skills such as morale, creativity and a positive attitude
to learning.
It is not by chance that the European Union determines entrepreneurship and initiative to be one of the eight key lifelong learning competences; their acquisition thereof needs to be ensured for young people by the school system of each member state. This is a long processes that lasts years and needs to be structured so that in each subsequent year the knowledge and skills build on those obtained the previous year.
In primary education, young pupils can get acquainted with the concept of the individual and the role they play as consumers, realize the role of the family and its economic responsibilities, obtain practical knowledge of natural, human, and capital resources.

Approaches to entrepreneurship teaching
In order for entrepreneurship teaching to be effective and to obtain the results desired by society, various instruments need to be employed. Some of them include transformation of the teacher’s role in the classroom – from instructor to facilitator, which allows children to find out answers themselves, and gives more freedom to the teacher. Another instrument is the involvement of business people in the learning process, which will improve the connection between education and business. This could be done by means of mentorship and active sharing of experience by the business and participation in various educational formats that allow students to freely talk with professionals. Team work is also
important for the purpose of creating vital work habits, and last, but not least, using more interactive and unconventional teaching methods, encouraging active joint work between different schools and organizing contests and other formats. This would allow young people to demonstrate their knowledge and skills and will create possibilities for new acquaintances.

In order to inspire their students and allow them to develop entrepreneurship, teachers also need to possess a wide range of creative and entrepreneurial skills. They too need a school environment that encourages creativity and risk-taking, and mistakes are regarded as learning opportunities.
Entrepreneurship training is more than preparing to manage an enterprise. It also includes the building of entrepreneurial attitude, skills and knowledge to allow the student “turn ideas into actions”.

Good practices

A good example is „MENTEE – Mentoring, Networking ND Training for European Entrepreneurs” – a project funded under the Erasmus+ programme. Through it, the experienced entrepreneurs who participated were able to become active mentors, and beginners and young entrepreneurs had the chance to benefit from shared practical knowledge. MENTEE e-learning tools have helped for this purpose.

The project „School Class 2 Business Class” gave participants the opportunity to learn everything related to starting their own company. During the pilot activities of the project at the National High School in Finance and Business, students were supported and advised by real entrepreneurs – company managers, and this created a solid foundation for the program to enter the secondary level of education. The project developed learning materials that will prepare students for running their independent business.

The project „Entrepreneurial Learning in Art Schools 2.0“ aims to help art schools give their students the necessary entrepreneurial skills needed before they enter the work field. El-Art is set up to help integrate entrepreneurship in European art schools through the development and distribution of teaching material and training programs for teachers and students. The aim of the programme is to help art schools give their students the entrepreneurial skills
necessary to thrive before they enter the working arena. The material Creativity as a Career produced by
El-Art is also suitable for starting creatives who are looking to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills.