The development of the entrepreneurial capacity of EU citizens has been one of the key policy objectives for the EU and the Key competence 7: Entrepreneurship for European Citizens according to the Commissions Recommendation, May 2018. The benefits of entrepreneurship education are not limited to start-ups, but also an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action, be creative and innovative. The important role of education in promoting more entrepreneurial attitudes & behaviours is now widely recognised. For students, this is vital as it affects their success after graduation, especially for non economics and business disciplines, where the students are very well taught on the disciplines material but most of the times they lack the development of all those competences that will help them act upon what they have learned during their degree and use their knowledge to create value. That is what the INSPIRE training material comes to cover. INSPIRE focuses on the development of entrepreneurial thinking to drive discovery, creativity and innovation primarily for HE students but also for VET and aims to train 120 HE and VET students that will be eligible for certification, according to the standards of 17024, as well as recognition of their knowledge, via ECTS. INSPIRE is based on the EntreComp framework that has been published by the JRC, on behalf of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, and has developed a definition of entrepreneurship as a competence & a reference framework describing it, the Entrepreneurship Competence Framework (EntreComp). By producing a common definition of what entrepreneurship as a competence is, the EntreComp aims to foster entrepreneurial learning. INSPIRE seeks to develop HE and VET students based on the EntreComp framework, through the application of a systematic methodology using student centered innovative approaches and also to validate the competences that the VET and HE students develop via the development of a Certification Scheme, according to ISO requirements, and the assignment of ECTS points for HE students. The general objectives of the project are to: • Foster entrepreneurial thinking to drive discovery, creativity and innovation in HE and VET students. • Develop a personilised pathway for students in order to help them develop those competences that identify with their own training needs • Develop a Training Needs Analysis tool and a curricula for the innovative, entrepreneurial student • Develop Training material/ Classroom, PBL that corresponds to those LO’s and has been proven to promote innovation and discovery. • Train at least 120 HE and VET students that will have the chance to validate their knowledge. • Validate the acquired knowledge via the development of a certification scheme and the awarding of ECTS points. • Development and promotion of a Multilingual Online open e-learning/networking space The Outputs of the project will be: O1. A learning pathway for promoting and supporting the personalized competence development of the (EQF 5 and 6). O2. TNAs and 30 sets of Training materials (EQF 5 for VET, EQF 6 for HE) O3. Certification Scheme and ECTS award (EQF 5 -Development of Certification scheme, EQF 6 - ECTS award) Ο4. Multilingual Online open e-learning/networking space where the interested potential trainees and trainers/facilitators may find the training material, tools, resources, talk to trainers and to each other. Ο5. INSPIRE Guide book that includes good practices on the field and interesting cases from the activities of the project, that the potential entrepreneurs will use for motivation. The project duration is 34 months, starting September 2020, and is coordinated by the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (PL). The partner Organisations come from 5 EU countries: DIMITRA Education & Consulting (EL), ACTA (EL), FH JOANNEUM (AT), TUCEP (IT) and the Burgas Free University (BG). Overall the partnership consists of three (3) HE Institutions, one VET institution that has 5 training centers and a research center both of which are also providing services to HEs and VET schools, as well as a certification company. The project will conclude with a conference that will take place in Warsaw, Poland and will be organised by Warsaw University of Life Scinces. We aim to have HE Institutions and VET providers registered on our website so that they can search for other partners to implement the system together (the way we will implement it in INSPIRE) Additionally, all educational institutions in the consortium will use the results of the project and will continue to develop the innovative and entrepreneurial thinking of their students using the INSPIRE methodology. It is the aim of this project to produce a set of standards, training materials, resources and a certification scheme that will continue to be used by the partners on completion of the project as well as to be available for all educational organisations that wish to use these.
The basis was to achieve the goals defined before commencing the project, as specified within the framework of the five IOs (Intellectual Outputs). Taking a broader perspective, we aimed to sow the seeds of entrepreneurship in the minds of higher education and vocational school students. Our dream was to create a space where participants could discover their passions, nurture creativity, and become sources of innovation. We believe that entrepreneurial education has the potential to shape the future. The INSPIRE project aims to provide full support for participants to transform their ideas into tangible actions, mirroring social projects where local communities collaborate to solve problems.
The INSPIRE project was initiated in response to the growing need to develop entrepreneurial skills among higher education (HE) students and vocational education and training (VET) students. Its aim is to promote entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation. By supporting the development of entrepreneurial thinking, INSPIRE is crucial for improving the career success of students, especially in non-business disciplines. The project is based on the EntreComp framework, which defines entrepreneurship as a competency and provides a reference framework for competency development. INSPIRE employs a systematic methodology and offers competency validation, contributing to the recognition of students' achievements. Additionally, awarding ECTS credits to HE students underscores the importance of acquiring these skills within the academic environment. Therefore, the INSPIRE project is a response to the needs of both society and students related to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial competencies, contributing to the development of individuals and society as a whole.