In many European countries (Scandinavian countries, United Kingdom, France) teach the entrepreneurship from the school is now a consolidated practice. All Member States and their school systems should follow these virtuous examples and the indications of the European Commission, in order to create a clear and sustainable attractive and competitive environment for the startups of the next generations. In fact, more than technical or technology skills, the success of a company is given by human capital and it means a set of soft skills that characterize the fellow and the personal attitudes of the same. The European Commission has already supported for different years the education to the entrepreneurship and, in the Report from 2012 entitled “Rethinking Education: Investing in skills for better socio-economic outcomes”, was underlined the centrality and the importance of entrepreneurial skills, recommending to the Member Statesto promote them with new and creative teaching and learning methodologies from primary school, while from secondary to higher education, attention should be focused on the opportunity to do business as job opportunity. In addition, the Commission recommends that after finishing compulsory education, all young people should have at least one “concrete business experience”. “B.B.E.-Building Brand Europe” is part of this directive with a training course, lasting 24 months, through the knowledge and development in the studentsof attitudes, knowledges, skills and competences, useful not only for their eventual commitment in the business field, but also in each working context andexperience of active citizenship, for the enhancement of European citizenship and the appreciation of the territorial peculiarities. Therefore, the specific objectives foreseen by “B.B.E.” are: - to train active and aware citizens in the context of Europeanization processes in a perspective of social, ethical and civil co-construction; - to enhance transversal and technical-professional skills of the participants, especially compared to the spirit of initiative and entrepreneurship; - to encourage exchanges with students from foreign schools and professional paths at foreign agricultural and hospitality companies for the promotion and enhancement of business ideas; - to strengthen the strategies and internationalization paths of all partner schools. The project is addressed to 128 students in total, of which 96 on the move (8 for each exchange accompanied by 2 teachers), aged between 16 and 18 from each School involved, who will be able to know the typical features of each partner country and, at the same time, to share good practices with respect to creation of enterprise. The exchanges will last for 5 days of activity plus 2 travel days. The activities will involve students in a progressive path of knowledge, promotion and enhancement of business ideas starting from good practices activated locally in their own country and school of origin. Mobilities will be aimed at exchanging business knowledge and practices among equals, putting them in a system to create an output, a "European brand" of typical products and the simulation of an e-commerce, which each partner school can develop and have available for structured use in the future. Specifically, the program foresees 4 virtual mobilities and as many short-term exchanges for the students from each partner school in Romania, Croatia, Estonia and, finally, in Italy, the coordinating country of the project. “B.B.E.” will have a positive impact on all partner institutions, as well as on students and members of the directly participating school staff: • ability to propose strategies that help the social inclusion of the most disadvantaged people, through activities that can guarantee the full participation in school life and promoted projects; • improvement of school performance by students, with greater participation in curricular and extra-curricular activities; • containment of the number of early schoolleaving and the drops out rate; • greater ability to transmit students citizenship of social and civic skills, tolerance and acceptance of diversity; • innovations and internationalization of the educational offers of the Institutes through the introduction of entrepreneurial pathways in the target schools, in collaboration with companies and sector associations in the territories. “B.B.E.”will be able to affect not only professional training but also the personal sphere of aware European citizens. All this will also be possible thanks to the use of eTwinning which can “combine”, although virtually, students from 4 different countries and allow them to get to know and exchange culture, new traditions and life styles.
As recommended by the European Commission, the schools wanted to bet on entrepreneurship and pave the way for students interested in creating a start-up after graduation. Together with specialists (manager of Banca Transilvania, manager of a Croatian restaurant, manager of an Estonian start-up incubator, and several Italian exporters and producers of organic or conventional wines), we analysed the steps needed to create, open, and launch a start-up in the respective countries of origin (Romania, Croatia, Italy, and Estonia). In order to create a clear sustainable attractive and competitive environment for start-ups, we have ascertained that, besides technical skills, the success of a business lies in human capital, meant as the set of soft skills that characterise the individual and his or her personal attitudes. After delving into the legislation of the countries involved, interviewing local entrepreneurs, and visiting the Italian embassy in Romania, we found that the friendliest country for young people who want to launch a start-up is Estonia, while Italy is at the bottom of the list because of the timeframe and excessive bureaucracy. "B.B.E.- Building a Brand called Europe" created a 36-month training pathway, through the knowledge and development of attitudes, knowledge, skills, and competences, useful for a possible engagement in the entrepreneurial field, in any working context and in any active citizenship experience, for the enhancement of European citizenship and the appreciation of territorial peculiarities. Therefore, the specific objectives planned by "B.B.E." were: - to build a bilingual e-commerce platform, to publish it on the website of the single institutes, to advertise local products that the students can produce; - to train active and aware citizens within the Europeanisation processes in a perspective of social, ethical and civil co-construction; - to enhance transversal and technical-professional skills in participants, especially regarding the spirit of initiative and entrepreneurship; - encourage exchanges with students from foreign schools and vocational paths in foreign companies; - strengthen the internationalisation strategies and processes of all the partner schools. The project involved 96 students in mobilities (groups of 8 accompanied by 2 teachers), aged between 15 and 19 years old from each school, who became familiar with the typical features of each partner country and shared good practices regarding business creation at the same time. The mobilities included 5 days of activities plus 2 to 3 days of travel. The total number of students involved in virtual mobility and short-term exchanges was 481, including pupils with Special Educational Needs, Specific Learning Disorders, and disabilities. The activities involved the students in a gradual process of getting to know each other, their school, their country, and local products; of understanding, promoting, and enhancing entrepreneurial ideas starting from good practices activated locally in their country of origin and school. The project enabled the promotion of a range of typical products and the simulation of e-commerce, which each partner school could develop and will have at its disposal for structured use in the future. "B.B.E." had positive impacts on all institutions, as well as on directly taking part students and school staff members: - contributed to improving the participants' English proficiency and skills; - proposed strategies that fostered the social inclusion of the most disadvantaged learners; - helped to impart citizenship, social and civic skills, tolerance, and acceptance of diversity; - improved students' autonomy and academic performance; - induced innovation and internationalisation of the educational offerings of the schools through introducing entrepreneurial pathways in the partner schools' subjects, sometimes in collaboration with local companies and sector associations. BBE anticipated the rapid changes that became necessary because of the Covid 19 epidemic and today's society by focusing on ONLINE SALES. The school wanted the students to gain not only theoretical knowledge and technical skills but also attitudes of openness to innovation and a willingness to lifelong learning, self-initiative, responsibility, and flexibility. All this was possible thanks to the use of eTwinning, which "joined together", albeit virtually, pupils of different nationalities. Through "Erasmus days" post-mobility meetings, it was possible to transfer skills and knowledge gained abroad to other members of their school and local administrations.