Call for Trainers

Conference on youth work and social entrepreneurship

Description

Context

This cross-sector conference is expected to be a forum for meeting and exchange, where participants will be able to discuss the role of youth work and its connection to social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial learning, share their experiences and good examples of practice, express their concerns, and initiate co-operation.

The conference will provide us with the perfect opportunity to engage in a debate on what is within the capacity of youth work when it comes to social entrepreneurship support, to articulate the purposes and value of youth work to policy-makers and the public and explore the bridges that can be built with other entrepreneurship support structures/programmes.

The outcomes of this conference will feed into a publication (practical guide)/web platform on youth work and social entrepreneurship.

There are indeed many ways in which youth work can support (social) entrepreneurship, in addition to enhancing entrepreneurial skills in young people. A few ideas gleaned from the “Young people, entrepreneurship and non-formal learning: A work in progress” book published by SALTO-YOUTH Participation in 2014, are worth mentioning here to provide us with food for thought before the conference. Youth work can inform young people about the advantages and drawbacks of entrepreneurship helping them make informed decisions. It can enrich the understanding of the social enabling more responsible economic behaviours. It makes young people reflect on the values and ethics of youth work and base their entrepreneurial decisions on them. It can also guide them to other services who can help them (employment offices, specialized training courses, local and regional administrations etc.). Last but certainly not least, youth work may encourage young people’s participation in alternative business models – actors of social economy – such as cooperatives, foundations, associations, mutuals and social enterprises.

Aim of the conference

Engage stakeholders in a participatory environment to explore what youth work can do to support social entrepreneurship, how, with whom and why;

Objectives

Clarify and highlight the role of youth work in providing entrepreneurial learning and supporting aspiring young social entrepreneurs;
Map social entrepreneurship support structures/ actors/ policies/ programmes/ financial schemes at national and European level;
Reinforce future cooperation between youth workers and other relevant stakeholders;
Facilitate the sharing of practices and methods useful for social entrepreneurship creation and support;
Inspire participants by making it possible for social entrepreneurs to share their stories.

Working methods

The conference will be a combination of plenary sessions, workshops and field visits. It will be based on non-formal learning approaches encouraging the active involvement of participants, giving them space to take an active role, express themselves and share good examples of practice.

Date and hosting country

The conference will be a three-day event that will take place in Malmö Sweden, end of October – beginning of November (dates to be confirmed).

Target group

We will have 100 participants from 24 countries, with the following professional backgrounds: youth workers, youth leaders, NA officers, formal education representatives, social entrepreneurs, policy-makers, researchers, employment and social entrepreneurship support services (Chambers of Commerce, incubators, associations of cooperatives etc.), local and regional administration representatives etc.

Requested trainer profile

We are looking for two facilitators who:

- are experienced in facilitating large-scale (international) conferences, seminars, symposia or similar events;
- have knowledge about or experience in social entrepreneurship or entrepreneurial learning;
- are able to develop the structure and methodology of the conference in co-operation with the co-facilitator and the organising team of the event;
- are used to working/cooperating with different groups of stakeholders; 
- are familiar with the principles and values of non-formal learning;
- have an excellent command of English (including drafting skills);

Working conditions

Responsibilities of the trainers

 - be available for and co-facilitate a preparatory meeting taking place in Stockholm, Sweden from 11 to 13 March 2015 (including arrival and departure days);
- get in regular contact with the organizing team for the development and implementation of the project;
- develop the conference agenda and the call for participants together with organizing team;
- facilitate the conference (plenary sessions, panel debates, workshops) and work on the evaluation in cooperation with the team;
- draft a brief report containing the most relevant outcomes of the conference that will be later on included in a publication on youth work and social entrepreneurship.

 Trainers’ fees:

                - A flat rate of 2 500 EUR per facilitator.

Travel and accommodation

Travel and accommodation-related expenditures for the preparatory meeting and the conference will be fully covered.

Team composition

This conference is co-organised by the Swedish, German, British, Italian, Maltese, Spanish, Austrian, Danish, Belgian-FR and Hungarian “Erasmus+ Youth in action” National Agencies, in collaboration with the SALTO-YOUTH Participation resource centre.

Application & selection procedure

Apply no later than: 23 January 2015
How to apply:

To submit your application, please send your CV (max 2 pages) together with a motivation letter describing in particular your experience in facilitating similar events. In addition please reply to the following question:

How could this conference better showcase the role of youth work in supporting social entrepreneurship?

The applications should be sent to Raluca Diroescu at raluca@salto-youth.net. Please cc Benjamin Billet - benjamin.billet@mucf.se.

Downloads

• Call for 2 facilitators_SALTO-YOUTH Participation.pdf

For more information

Raluca Diroescu, Project Manager, SALTO-YOUTH Participation
Phone: +32 (0) 2 227 52 82
Email: