Entrepreneurs are the engine of economic growth in Europe. It is a well-known fact that SMEs are the most important form of business organization in Europe, representing 99.8% of all enterprises. What is much less known is that most SME are in fact micro enterprises: more than 19 million employ less than 10 people. Many of these enterprises, mainly from the craft and artisan sector, are run by the owner and together employ around 1/3 of the European workforce. The craft company plays a fundamental role in people’s quality of life and dignity and, as it can have an impact on the stability and cohesion of society; it is an indispensable part of the future. However, in a highly competitive economy, a good know-how is not always enough to develop a successful business project The main objective of STARTCRAFTS is to address the training needs of crafts entrepreneurs in key transversal skills based on new updated research, and strengthen their business activities. STARTCRAFTS is a EU partnership designed to develop core and innovative learning methods that best encourage success in business activities, answering the need for education and training thanks to an innovative proposal based on participation and ICTs. Throughout the project lifetime, partners expect to involve a large audience over Europe, engaging participants from partners’ countries (Belgium,Poland, Spain, Italy, and Greece) to take part in different training activities and events. Each participating country will collect answers from at least 50 VET educators on skills needs observed and will organise 2 focus groups with participation of at least 5 participants representing crafts business entrepreneurs world. In total, partners expect to involve at least 500 learners in the STARTCRAFTS platform during the project life. 14 external experts will be selected to review all the materials to be developed. National events and a final European conference will also engage more participants in the project. Partners have determined a work plan in order to reach the objectives set for the project, starting with the preparation of a mobile report about craft entrepreneurship teaching and crafts entrepreneurial skills demand according to representatives from the sector. Then, they will develop specific training contents responding to the competences foreseen, each partner using its specific fields of expertise to contribute to the development of the course. They will develop an online platform to deliver the course with interactive exercises and evaluation system, including a social module, as a meeting place for crafts entrepreneurs and stakeholders for project pitching and peer-to-peer learning. They will develop a market training toolkit specifically designed to provide a market orientation insight to craft entrepreneurial projects, and will finally develop teaching notes addressing trainers in the crafts and entrepreneurial fields. STARTCRAFTS project will rely on a participative methodology, engaging the target group all along the project implementation. It will also make a strong use of ICT as a catalyst for the project activities impact. A strong focus is given on international activities, being in line with an international scenario for smart growth and boosting creativity through intercultural diversity. The main project result will be the creation of a complete set of educative materials for crafts entrepreneurs, including an e-learning platform, a market training tool, as well as a teaching notes. The expected impact on the target group is an improvement of the entrepreneurial competences, and thus better efficiency and success in the launch of activities. As long term benefit, project expect to contribute to the EU2020 strategy encouraging an economy based on creativity and sustainability, thanks to better prepared crafts entrepreneurs for the management of competitive and performant businesses, as well as to the ET2020 strategy, contributing to the development of qualitative open educational resources.
The main objective of StartCraft project was to address the education and training needs in the field of craft business management and to provide craft entrepreneurs with the key transversal skills to strengthen their business activities, all this through an innovative online training course. The specific objectives of the project were: - To address the training needs of crafts entrepreneurs in key transversal skills and to strengthen their business activities. - To develop core and innovative learning methods that best encourage success in business activities based on ICTs (innovation) - To promote interaction among the target groups and to encourage participation, ideas pitching and active discussions among them, thus facilitating the emergence of further entrepreneurial activities. StartCraft pursued to maximize the impact on the target group involving a large audience of stakeholders over Europe, engaging participants from Belgium, Poland, Spain, Italy, and Greece to take part in different training activities and events. The project pursued a positive impact on the craft sector by supporting the community by providing new tools addressed to their specific needs, and thus, getting better educational practices in the field. Craft entrepreneurs and craft learners have improved their entrepreneurial competencies, while teachers, trainers, and advisors have gained a new resource, complementary to current courses.
SMEs are the engine of economic growth in Europe and the most important form of business organization. The 99.8% of them are micro-enterprises. Many of the enterprises from the craft and artisan sector, are run by the owner, particularly women, and together they employ around 1/3 of the European workforce. The craft company plays a fundamental role in people’s quality of life, and it can have an impact on the cohesion of society. Artisan activity creates jobs, increases local incomes, and preserves ancient cultural traditions at risk of being lost. Still, artisan businesses are seldom recognized as drivers of economic growth. Most artisans are small producers working informally and they lack access to the tools and resources needed to succeed in the global marketplace. They work in isolated environments, without business skills, market access, and the financial tools needed to boost production and sales. The following issues were identified in the sector: - Still, 9 out of 10 new businesses fail. - Micro and craft-type enterprises have difficulty finding the financial and organizational resources needed to train. - CVET programs are widespread. - Lack of recent studies about current tailor training needs. The following needs were identified: - Need of competencies to anchor crafts activities on market and customer demands. - Need for open and easy access training programmes adapted to crafts-type companies. - Need for interaction among the target groups.