Competitiveness of European economy requires citizens and particularly young people to be innovative, creative, flexible and courageous to face challenges in a dynamic and volatile economy. In one word, young people need to become ‘entrepreneurs’: on the one hand they should be able to successfully develop new commercial and social ventures, on the other they should be innovator in the organizations where they work. The optimum method to approach students and provide them the chance to develop an entrepreneurial spirit is work-based learning and especially apprenticeship. The work-based learning and apprenticeships, in fact, offer the shift from transmission models of teaching –learning about- to experiential learning –learning for- and provide the opportunity to integrate hands-on experiences with theory. Different forms of work-based learning have been implemented in Europe and currently provide apprenticeships for 2/3 of young people. However, apprenticeships are focused on the specific vocational skills, required in the specialisation and not on the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills. Filling this gap, the App.Mod.E. project wants to develop an apprenticeship model for the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills by students in upper secondary and higher vocational education and training. The general objective is articulated in more specific objectives that are: -to develop an apprenticeship model for the acquisition of entrepreneurial mindset and competences by upper secondary and higher VET students -to apply gamification elements in the apprenticeship model -to develop a trainers’ guide, addressed to trainers in VET schools and companies that will apply the apprenticeship model and will design, support and evaluate the apprenticeship programme -to create VET-company partnerships, experiment and validate the apprenticeship model -to organise seminars for trainers in VET schools and companies that are interested to apply the apprenticeship model. The project will produce three core intellectual outputs that are: O1. Apprenticeship model for the acquisition of entrepreneurial mindset and competences O2. Trainers’ guide for trainers in VET institutions and companies O3. “VET – Company partnerships for apprenticeships” guide. The apprenticeship model for the development of entrepreneurial mindset and skills will use an innovative methodology of problem-based learning, using gamification elements. The methodology that will be developed will be based on real problems and challenges that the company faces and the apprentice will have to find a solution to respond to that challenge. The direct target group of the project is VET trainers and companies involved in apprenticeship programmes, yet, the final beneficiaries are students enrolled in upper secondary and higher VET schools and centres. These audience will be involved in the different stages and outputs of the project such as: -Research activities -Pilot experimentation of the apprenticeship model for entrepreneurial skills -Training seminars -Creation of VET – company partnerships for apprenticeships -Evaluation and validation activities related to the outputs -Dissemination and sustainability activities. The project is designed to have an impact at local/regional/national and european levels. At local level, the project will contribute to the promotion of apprenticeships and the development of networks and partnerships between VET organisations and companies. At national and European level, the project will contribute to the promotion of apprenticeships, work-based learning and entrepreneurial learning at the workplace.
The AppMod.E project was carried out between November 1, 2017 and October 31, 2019 over a period of 24 months in 6 different countries: France, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain. The AppMod.E project aimed to promote the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills among adult apprentices / students accommodated in training centers. In this perspective, the project includes the development of partnerships between training centers and companies. The learning model includes the methods of gamification and problem-solving learning (PBL). As part of this project, a consortium of 6 European partners has been brought together (IDEC-Greece, EUROCREA-Italy, RCCI-Bulgaria, AOA Age-Romania, PIT-Spain, Sud Concept-France). All these partners work in the field of professional training. The project consisted of creating collaboration between training centers and companies for the benefit of apprentices. This is why, each partner, as a training center, has signed three agreements with different companies. In all, the project will have involved 18 companies in the following sectors: silver economy, cooperative of generalist entrepreneurs, heritage preservation, electronics and security system, sales and marketing, mechanics, project administration. The AppMod.E project made it possible to develop 3 intellectual productions: - A learning model for acquiring entrepreneurial spirit and skills - A trainers' guide for trainers in training establishments and companies - A guide for implementing partnerships between training centers and companies for learning. In addition, the project was nourished and was supplemented by activities allowing the involvement of people and outside organizations. A seminar bringing together 87 people was organized to make the trainers (training centers and companies) aware of the teaching methods chosen for this project: gamification and Problem based learning. An experimentation phase of the learning model involving 16 students and 16 trainers was set up. A webinar with 19 participants was conducted to present the AppMod.E project: methodologies (Gamification and PBL), EntreComp Framework, EQF levels , evaluation methods. A dissemination event presenting the results of the project was carried out in each partner country, bringing together more than 150 people, from all countries. The project has enabled the implementation of a total of 18 agreements between training centers and companies. It made it possible to involve 19 apprentices in total. The project raised the awareness of around 200 trainers and tutors to the method proposed within the framework of the AppMod.E project, all actions taken together. The project enabled the creation of three deliverables available free of charge on the website created within the framework of the project (www.appmode.eu). In the short and medium term, the impacts / benefits observed on trainers (in training centers) and on tutors in companies are the improvement of the transmission of entrepreneurial skills, better management of the human resources needs of companies: trainees / apprentices, a better match between the tasks entrusted and the initial skills of the apprentices, an improvement in the perception of learning and an increased motivation of the company, better preparation of the trainer, better collaboration between trainers and tutors. The tools proposed within the framework of the AppMod.E project will in particular have made it possible to transmit a learning design model integrated with gamification and PBL methodologies, while proposing an evaluation and monitoring method with the implementation of objectives and success in the training of apprentices, standards / results and the concept of perceptions and recommendations. With regard to apprentices, the learning model developed by AppMod.E promotes motivation and the acquisition of skills necessary for business creation among former apprentices involved in the experimentation phase as evidenced by the course of some apprentices as a result of their involvement in AppMod.E. Indeed, the project allowed apprentices to improve their entrepreneurial skills in the following areas: strategies and development, organization and planning, ingenuity, decision making, problem solving Over the longer term and in general, the project made it possible to implement a real process of collaboration between training centers and companies which led to better monitoring of apprentices.