A European Entrepreneurship VET Model and Assessment Framework for Ethnic Minorities

Project summary

CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND:The project “A European Entrepreneurship VET Model and Assessment Framework for Ethnic Minorities” addresses the need for integrating the rising numbers of migrants and refugees across the EU socially and financially. Ethnic minorities represent an important pool of potential entrepreneurs that can contribute effectively to the EU economy “European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals” and the EU 2020 Strategy to reduce the number of people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion by 20 million. Often the percentage of ethnic minorities who become entrepreneurs is higher than among ethnic majorities in Europe. However, they have a greater struggle to survive financially than ethnic majority entrepreneurs (The Missing Entrepreneurs 2014, OECD/European Union).OBJECTIVE: - To promote and support entrepreneurship among migrants and refugees in Europe and to counter the barriers that many face- To increase and accredit migrants’ competences and entrepreneurship skills through training activities- to develop and test a European Entrepreneurship VET Model and Assessment Framework for Ethnic Minorities - To involve managers, researchers, developers and stakeholders in the development and testing of the entrepreneurship VET model and assessment frameworkNUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS:In total we expect to involve:- 7 managers- 32 developers & specialists - 3 technicians- 31 trainers/teachers- 12 adults testers (for the simulator development)- 100 ethnic minority entrepreneur candidates will participate in the pilot testing of the platform and training activities- 300 testers of the assessment & evaluation package- 70 participants will attend the launching conference - 120 will participate in local dissemination activities- 1000 (approx.) will benefit indirectly from the project through local dissemination activities (teachers, managers, stakeholder, adult learners).ACTIVITIES:- 5 partner meetings- Platform development- Development of evaluation and orientation system- Collection of entrepreneurship content for the platform- Development of enterprise simulator - Development of EVA’s system for recognition and certification of competencies- Test of the efficacy of the method & implementation of the platform- 5 local training activities- Production of manual and recommendations- Launching conference- Local, national and European dissemination activitiesMETHODOLOGY:Through a strong partnership the project aims to develop and test a VET system and assessment framework for ethnic minority entrepreneur candidates, through an online training and skill assessment platform using available training modules, developing a skill testing simulator software, and an ECVET system and digital badges for accreditation of the participants. This results in a platform freely available to use will all the developed tools, a manual of project experiences and recommendations for a common EU approach for supporting entrepreneurship among migrants. RESULTS AND IMPACT:1. A platform that contains relevant entrepreneurship training modules provided based on a skill evaluation and orientation system. 2. An enterprise simulator and a ECVET system with digital badges for accrediting entrepreneurship skills3. Test of the efficacy of the tools & implementation of the platform4. Training activities for migrant entrepreneurship candidates in the 5 partner countries5. Manual of methodologies and EU recommendations for training and assessing entrepreneurship skills among migrants.6. Launching conference Not only will the project contribute to a common European methodology for improving entrepreneur skills and survival rates with ICT. Moreover, the project will provide administrators, job centers and VET providers with tools and recommendations for enhancing and supporting entrepreneurship with ethnic minorities and thus facilitating their integration in work life and in society. Eventually, for the refugees and the municipalities, this measure will also help in the rational distribution of refugees. This will also result in Pan-European policy recommendations for improving the entrepreneurship of ethnic minorities. POTENTIAL LONGER TERM BENEFITS:The project develops a training and skills assessment platform that will remain available to use for 1 year after the project, and a manual of the collected project experiences and EU recommendations for promoting entrepreneurship among ethnic minorities. We expect that the manual of best practices will serve as inspiration - not only for countries participating in the project - but for all European countries after the EU funding period. An effective dissemination strategy will secure that the project results will be widespread to job centers, VET providers, administrators, municipalities, NGO’s etc.