Considering the importance the EU gives to education and training beeing essential to unlocking the potential of people, regardless the age or the backgrounds, our organization propose the project EU COUNTRY ARTISANS designed to follow the identified needs at the organizational level and the social needs identified at the regional level. We want to develop our organization's activities locally and regionally, and also we want to be sure of its internationalization by realising partnerships with foreign organizations. The objectives of this project arise directly from the general and specific objectives of the Erasmus+ programme and are in accordance with Europe 2020. The general objective is: - Helping adults from socially disadvantaged groups to identify the opportunities of overcoming the economic crisis through entrepreneurship. The specific objectives are: 1. The identification of potential crafts in the region and the establishment of some ways to improve the social life of rural residents. 2. Realising entrepreneurship, IT and marketing online courses for the socially disadvantaged groups identified as the target group. 3. The establishment of a network at EU level with craftsmen who want to participate through an electronic platform, which will bring together the artisans, craft products made by them in order to be commercialised, to improve living standards. We believe that this entrepreneurship project, will sketch the implementation of a social entrepreneurship project, as we seek to resolve a social problem with a business solutions. Through the online platform the socially disadvantaged adults, the target group, following the course of entrepreneurship and following the practical activities where they learn the secret of a craft, they will be able to open their own small business. Being present on the online platform that brings together craftsmen from partner countries, will allow them to be known locally and internationally and they will be able to sell their products. In this way, their income will increase, their social status will be improved and the rural area will become prosper with people who work and have a good income. The existence of the online platform will guarantee the sustainability of the project. We will implement as intellectual outputs the online Platform, the Handicrafts Catalogue that brings together artisans and crafts from the partner countries, the entrepreneurship online course posted on the Internet and other learning/teaching materials. The outcomes obtained by implementing the project will be: - improving practical skills related to project management ; - improving skills related to the development and the management of a business plan, proper preparation of the budget, the correct interpretation of the legal requirements; - improving networking skills related to teamwork and cooperation with partners from different cultural backgrounds; - building successful partnerships with national and international organizations; - knowledge and practical information on EU funding opportunities for 2014-2020 in education and training; - improving communication skills in a foreign language that provides the ability to build relationships internationally. The dissemination plan will include real activities and realistic deadlines to complete. Particularly important will be the multiplier events that will bring people from outside of the project organisations.
The objectives of the two-years project E.U. - COUNTRY ARTISANS have arisen directly from the general and specific objectives of the Erasmus+ programme. Project is in the line with the EU Parliament Resolution of 16 January 2008 on adult education, entitled “It’s never too late to learn (2007/2114 (INI))” which is a pledge to promote adult learning programmes. Considering the importance which the EU gives to education and training has been essential unlocking the potential of people, regardless the age or the background, partnership realised the project designed to follow the identified needs at the organizational level and the social needs identified at the national / regional levels. The idea to prepare and implement the project was created thanks to the identified need of adult training in the area of entrepreneurship and crafts at the EU dimension. The main objective was to strengthen and expand the competences of adults in entrepreneurship education, to enable people to find new entrepreneurial opportunities at the field of handmade production and crafts. For this purpose, the partners have identified the potential existing in the area of crafts and established ways to improve the social life of target groups. Through project we pooled two social categories of adults who practice traditional crafts at hobby or subsistence to those who want to learn these trades and to develop their own business by selling handmade products. Project was implemented within the partnership of four organizations. Co-ordinator the Educational Association, z.s. is non-profit association which aim is developing of the open educational society, information, consultation and guidance activities in the framework of the lifelong learning. Romanian NGO Fundatia Dimitrie Cantemir (FDC), founded in 1996 having as objects of activity learning, culture, education. BEST Institut GmbH from Austria was founded in 1990 as an independent organisation for providing continuous training, vocational qualification and career services. Latvian association ‘Biedrība Eurofortis’ was established in Riga in 2011, taking over the broad experience of the education and consultancy centre SIA Eurofortis in realization of the EU supported international projects in the field of education and training. Partnership have a lot of experiences in developing EU projects within Transfer of innovation LdV projects, Grundtvig, Erasmus+ projects, all of these projects are focused on educational and training activities and also quality management activities. They cooperate with wide range of local and international partners –especially in educational (schools, local and national educational authorities), business – association as direct organisations and other stakeholders. The project therefore helped partners to provide further and better services to their main target group, i.e. unemployed people at all ages and with all kinds of qualification. All the planned activities were implemented. The project was successful and met the predefined expectations. All target groups have reported on positive impact and that general awareness and understanding of entrepreneurship education are increased. We identified potential on crafts existing in specific regions / countries and established ways to improve the social life of target groups. THE ONLINE PLATFORM (www.euartisans.eu) is used to support established networking of craftsperson at EU level and pool together artisans and their craft products for commercial purposes; in the end, to improve their standard of living. This platform also includes the training programme/ course MY BUSINESS. An entrepreneurship course was developed in order to train adults practicing traditional crafts as a hobby or for a living and those who want to learn these trades to eventually develop their own business selling handmade products but lack basic details related to entrepreneurial topics. Alongside the entrepreneurship course, the HANDICRAFT CATALOGUE has been developed in order to bring together all the information regarding arts and crafts, traditional fairs and exhibitions in the countries involved at project, folk and tradition museums, the historical background and local artisans relevant for each country. The last products which aim was to facilitate learning of traditional techniques wide public, are I LEARN A CRAFT courses - Blue printing, Tablet weaving, Romanian blouse, known as "ia and Birch Bark. As a result of the projects, a wide audience of artisans and handmade makers have been informed about the importance of entrepreneurial spirit in crafts in an attractive and interesting way. This contributes to raised awareness among artisans of entrepreneurship education and activities in the field of crafts. The project reached a higher number of people than expected and proved to be very effective.