Transversal skills (critical thinking, taking initiative, problem solving and work collaboratively) and entrepreneurship skills are not sufficiently developed on Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Research shows also that companies seek those competences in Higher Education (HE) students, but they are many gaps they still have. By motivating HE students to become entrepreneur and help them to acquire transversal skills, CRAYON’s project intends to improve the alarming unemployment rates, especially amongst young persons. The main aim of the CRAYON's project has been to motivate HEI students and recent graduates, and to stimulate their social entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation and transversal skills. CRAYON’s proyect objectives were: 1. To motivate the first entrepreneurial step in European youngsters by using creative methodologies 2. To develop a training program (methodology + training course + Massive Open Online Course, MOOC + training videos) based on present and future market requirements, focused on entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation and soft skills. 3. To establish and pilot a strategic partnership between Universities, Business Incubators, Entrepreneur centres and businesses to support student’s entrepreneurial spirit and exchange best practices in the field 4. To engage HEI teachers and trainers, as well as diverse educational and employment authorities in the promotion, adoption and use of these innovative learning practices The main transnational activities developed by CRAYON project were: 1. Development of an INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGY including Motivation 3.0, a recent theory currently used in the USA whose object is generating entrepreneur behaviours fed by intrinsic wants (based on three driving forces: autonomy, mastery and purpose); Creativity, Gamification, LEGO® Serious Play® and Business Model YOU 2. Development of a TRAINING COURSE integrating the CRAYON’s methodology developed, as well as Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Social Responsibility. The training course motivated HEI students and helped them to develop their creativity, innovation and entrepreneur skills from. It helped them to generate business ideas and develop and implement them, especially focusing in the form of the social companies 3. Development of a MOOC, to be published at the Greek partners’ e-learning platform. 4. Preparation of TRAINING VIDEOS including interviews with useful advices from real entrepreneurs and relevant stakeholders, providing useful advices 5. Testing the training materials in an INTENSIVE STUDY PROGRAMME and at national level 6. Virtual mentoring of business ideas generated by students during the project 7. Dissemination events, including seminars with relevant stakeholders, workshops with teachers and a closure conference 8. Other activities related to Quality Assurance, Evaluation, Exploitation and Sustainability of CRAYON’s outcomes Project partners represent the three pillars of the knowledge triangle (education + research + business), including: 2 HEIs, 1 foundation, 1 business incubator, 1 entrepreneur centre and 1 SME. Cooperation has been already established to develop the project proposal and the tasks and activities have been distributed according to each partner’s expertise. CRAYON’s final results and outputs (training program package) are mainly addressed to the participating HEIs and their teachers, but also to any other Higher Education Institution, that can reach CRAYON’s results. The most direct beneficiaries of this project results are Higher Education students, who have boosted their motivation, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and transversal skills thanks to the CRAYON’s training they have received, CRAYON’s results include: - Developed training materials (methodology + training course + MOOC + training videos) - Over 100 HEI motivated students and recent graduates who have developed their creativity, entrepreneur and transversal skills - Over 25 HEI teachers trained in CRAYON’s methodology and course - Over 25 students trained through the CRAYON’s MOOC - At least 5 business models defined by students Overall, 1300 HEI students, 300 HEI teachers and 150 HEIs were impacted during the project lifetime. Also, other relevant stakeholders such as Chambers of Commerce, Business Associations, Business Incubators, Entrepreneur Centres, policy-makers, etc. have been invited to participate in various project activities. CRAYON’s increases quality in Higher Education by teaching updated skills, adapted to the labour market requirements. CRAYON’s training materials provide a unique combination of skills and motivation from a multidisciplinary perspective that enables HE students to become 100% ready to start an entrepreneur experience and fully integrate into the labour market and the society. Students have not only gained experience in the process of business creation, but they have acquired skills they can use during their whole life and the international perspective of CRAYON’s can contribute to increase the European citizenship.
CONTEXT According to some of the EU publications and reports (EU Skills Panorama 2014, EURYDICE 2012 study “Developing Key Competences at School in Europe”, amongst others) show that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are not providing the required skills demanded by the labour market. Specifically, the CRAYON’s project focuses on improving the acquisition of entrepreneurship, creativity, social responsibility, analytical, problem-solving skills and other transversal skills. OBJECTIVES CRAYON's project aimed at motivating HEI students and recent graduates, and to stimulate their social entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation and transversal skills. Besides, the objectives achieved include the development of the Intellectual Outputs, piloting a strategic partnership between HEIs, Business Incubators, Entrepreneur centres and business and to create a community of interested users. PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS In the CRAYON’s project 6 organisations from 5 countries have participated (4 EU countries and 1 EU candidate). The organisations are from different backgrounds: - 2 HEIs (FLORIDA – ES and UTH – EL) - SME consultancy (IBOXC – ES) - Non-profit organisation (PRIME – NL) - National Innovation Training Centre (NCDIEL – MK) - Business Incubator (CICIA – RO) This has enriched the project development, as all of them are part of the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem and all of them have different perspectives and contributions to make in this field. DESCRIPTION OF MAIN ACTIVITIES All Intellectual Outputs (IOs) developed can be accessed from here: http://crayonsproject.eu/en/deliverables/ 1. INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGY. Including Motivation 3.0, Creativity, Gamification, LEGO® Serious Play® and Business Model YOU. It is designed to create, develop and evaluate an entrepreneur idea. 2. TRAINING COURSE developed, integrating the CRAYON’s methodology developed, as well as Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Social Responsibility. 3. MOOC developed. It guides students to generate business ideas and develop and implement these, especially focusing in the form of social companies. The MOOC is published and freely available at the UTH’ e-learning platform: http://eclass.uth.gr/eclass/. 4. TRAINING VIDEOS to guide on-line students in the learning process. They have been used for the CRAYON’s MOOC 5. Organisation and testing of the IOs developed in an INTENSIVE STUDY PROGRAMME in Romania and at national level 6. Mentoring of ideas generated by students and support during the project 7. Other activities: dissemination events, Project Management, Quality Assurance, Evaluation, Exploitation and Sustainability of CRAYON’s outcomes RESULTS AND IMPACT Through the Multiplier Events and dissemination activities organised, CRAYON’s project has reached over 2500 persons from different contexts: students, entrepreneurs, teachers, trainers, HEI lecturers, managers (Human Resources, Innovation departments, etc.), staff from different type of organisations, etc. There is detailed information on dissemination activities available here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-qcLZOSKO-UTm9DdzN3Sjh6U0U (multiplier events are in a separate folder). Also, we have reached around 9500 persons over social networks and project website (8200 persons in Facebook, 300 persons in Twitter and almost 1050 users in the website). Relevance of CRAYON’s project is the qualitative impact reached. According to the information gathered from questionnaires and feedback received afterwards, the project has achieved relevant changes in some organisations, especially HEIs: - Over 20 teachers and lecturers have used CRAYON’s methodology in their lectures to work entrepreneurship skills (teamwork, creativity, innovation, etc.) and team building - Primary, Secondary Education and VET Centres have contacted us to use CRAYON’s methodology to work soft skills (empathy, communication, teamwork, flexibility and other interpersonal skills) within their classes. - We have been requested assistance to guide organisations in their internal change process. The methodology has proven to be a very powerful tool to identify needs and problems within an organisation, to think of new solutions (avoiding biases), and organise the change process. Also companies find CRAYON’s methodology useful to develop, transform and regenerate processes or services within the organisation. Besides, they have used it to enhance the teamwork and group cohesion LONG-TERM BENEFITS - Partners have a Skype meeting scheduled in November 2017 to discuss about the preparation of a training course for European teachers, trainers and lecturers to exploit CRAYON’s results (methodology, training course and MOOC) - CRAYON’s methodology has been integrated in Compulsory Secondary Education, VET and Higher Education levels, more specifically in the following University degrees: Primary Education Teaching, Early Education Teaching, and Entrepreneurship subjects within other education qualifications provided