The integration of a large number of refugees is currently an urgent, outstanding task in many EU countries, which requires the commitment of all social stakeholders. Refugees who have profound professionalism and good entrepreneurial potentials can be trained as entrepreneurs in a comparatively short period of time in the host country and integrated into working life as a successor or entrepreneur for small enterprises and make valuable contributions to the economic development. The project pursues this innovative, promising approach. Many SMEs experience a critical moment by handing over the company to a successor when the owner retires. In fact, more jobs are lost annually due to failed business transfers than new ones are created by business start-ups. A major cause of the failed business transfers and thus the high loss of jobs in many EU countries is the large shortage of qualified successors, which is currently growing. Through qualification and integration of refugees as entrepreneurs, the project makes an important contribution to successful SME business transfers and start-ups. Having said that the project pursues the main objective of integrating refugees and immigrants in the best possible way and thus ensure SMEs transfers at the same time through: (A) the rapid integration of refugees into their working lives by training and promotion of entrepreneurship, (B) recruit additional target groups and increase the number of potential SME successors and founders, (C) improve entrepreneurial skills to attract qualified entrepreneurs, to ensure innovative success and to secure and increase the number of SMEs and jobs. The project is carried out by 5 partners from Germany, Italy, Austria and Hungary. The internationally active lead partner is particularly experienced in the training and support of SMEs as well as in the implementation of complex public projects. Three partners are chambers, respectively, affiliated institutions dedicated to the training of entrepreneurs and the promotion of local SMEs for many years. An university is successfully involved in the training of entrepreneurs and particularly experienced in the development of corresponding curricula as well as in quality assurance and evaluation processes. The project comprises 7 work packages with the following main activities. 1. Project management and implementation of 6 transnational partner meetings and 2 international multiplier events. 2. Identification of individual competences and entrepreneurial potentials of refugees and, on this basis, consultations on further professional careers and necessary qualifications, as well as individual consulting measures. 3. Professional language training as well as trainings to increase motivation, ideas and planning of entrepreneurial activities. 4. Training to an entrepreneur, which is concluded with an official further training degree. This comprehensive qualification process is accompanied by individual consultations and coaching as well as supplemented by the necessary retraining courses. 5. Trainings regarding preparation of an SME take-over or business start-up, as well as for graduates of entrepreneurship who do not want to work independently. 6. Integration of trained refugees in existing programs to promote and advise until after the company has been taken over or is established. 7. Transfer of project results to 68 chambers and universities/universities of applied sciences from 13 countries, which are involved as associated project partners during implementation and receive sustainable implementation advice and carry out further dissemination activities. While the individual activities can be based on existing experiences and materials, consultation procedures, curricula, etc. must be developed, tested and evaluated specifically for the target group "refugees". Therefore a project duration of 3 years is mandatory. For the five products of the project • Blueprints for the reliable identification of entrepreneurial competencies and for the counselling of individual career and education plans, • Curricula for trainings to promote motivation and to create ideas for activities as entrepreneurs, • Curricula and regulations for the training of entrepreneurs, • Curricula for trainings for preparation as well as blueprints for the realization of SMEs Takeovers and business start - • Comprehensive printed manual with wide distribution, available for all interested parties A high sustainable use is ensured by means of a process-oriented expansion of the implementation regions, including financing.
The integration of many refugees is currently an urgent and outstanding task in many EU countries, and the accomplishment of this task requires the commitment of all social groups. Refugees who have sound professional experience and good entrepreneurial potential can be trained as entrepreneurs in the host country in a comparatively short period of time and integrated into working life as successors or founders of small businesses, thereby making valuable contributions to economic development. The project pursued this innovative and promising approach. Many SMEs experience a critical moment when the business has to be handed over to a new entrepreneur for age or other reasons. In fact, each year more jobs are lost due to failed business transfers than are created by start-ups. One of the main reasons for the failure of transfers and the associated high job losses in many EU countries is the large and growing shortage of qualified successor entrepreneurs under status quo conditions. By qualifying and integrating refugees as entrepreneurs, the project made important contributions to securing SME handovers and business start-ups. Against this background, the project pursued the outstanding goal of achieving the integration of refugees and securing SME handovers as far as possible by a) rapid integration of refugees into working life through training and promotion as entrepreneurs. b) attracting additional target groups and increasing the number of potential SME successors and founders. (c) improving entrepreneurial skills in order to attract qualified entrepreneurs, ensure innovative success and safeguard and increase the number of SMEs and jobs. The project was carried out by 5 partners from Germany, Italy, Austria and Hungary. The internationally active lead partner is particularly experienced in training and promoting SMEs. Three partners are chambers of commerce and associated institutions, which have been dedicated to the training of entrepreneurs and the promotion of SME handovers and business start-ups for many years. One university is successfully involved in the training of entrepreneurs and is particularly experienced in the development of curricula and evaluation processes. The project comprised 7 work packages with the following main activities. 1. Project management and implementation of 6 workshops and 2 international consulting and transfer conferences. 2. Identification of individual competences and entrepreneurial potentials of refugees. 3. Specialized language training and training promoting motivation and creativity. 4. Training as an entrepreneur, which can be completed with an official further education degree. 5. Training in preparation for an SME takeover or business start-up. 6. Inclusion of the trained refugees in existing support programs as well as accompanying coaching and integration programs from the competence assessment until after a successful business takeover or start-up. 7. Transfer of the project results to 70 chambers and higher education institutions/universities from 13 countries, which were involved in the project implementation as associated partners and received sustainable implementation advice, and implementation of further dissemination measures. For these main activities, instruments, methods, curricula, examination regulations etc. have been developed, tested and evaluated which can be used in all countries. Individual instruments and curricula have been so successful that they are already being used in all Baltic Sea countries for domestic and foreigners, for the recruitment and qualification of entrepreneurs. For the five products of the project - Blueprints for the reliable identification of entrepreneurial skills and for advising individual career and educational planning, - Curricula for language training as well as training promoting motivation and creativity for activities as entrepreneurs, - Curricula and examination regulations for entrepreneurship training, - Curricula for preparatory training and blueprints for the implementation of SME takeovers and business start-ups and - Manual with distribution via bookstores high sustainable uses are ensured with a process-oriented expansion of the implementation regions including financing. The project pursued a bottom-up strategy: By means of a rapid, successful qualification and integration of refugees as entrepreneurs or specialists in SMEs, companies and their organizations were to gain their own experience with foreigners on a broad basis and thus bring about sociopolitical changes in behavior. This strategy has had its first effects, particularly in Hungary.