Preparing European Youth for Self-Employment and Social Enterprise

This project is about promoting a spirit of enterprise and also building entrepreneurial skills amongst young people. This will be done by enabling youth workers, youth leaders and project organisers to be able to pass on or stimulate these skills and ways of thinking. The whole project is planned as an exercise in entrepreneurship and will leave participants with practical experiences, new techniques, new knowledges and new approaches to youth work . Each module will be presented or delivered using specially selected non-formal techniques in order to showcase these varying techniques in action as part of the overall training. Many industry experts will be invited as guests to share their inside knowledge of the business side of particular selected "industries" including sport, music and arts & performance. The project will particularly look at ways to self-employment and commercial ventures as a way forward for young people facing difficulties.

From the first day the project will require the active involvement of participants and them taking responsibility for many aspects. This is a key element of promoting entrepreneurial thinking. This will mean recoding & taking photographs, organising review sessions, organising international coffee breaks and documenting outputs as well as the specific involvement required for each module.

Modules may include:
• Defining enterprise
• Projects markets
• Becoming self-employed
• The ‘business side’ of music
• The ‘business’ of sport
• The ‘business side ’ of art & performance
• Spotting investments and opportunities
• Non-verbal communications
• Negotiation skills
• Financial literacy
• Business planning
• Marketing & publicity
• Hands-on selling practice
• Building a winning team
• The role of social and commercial enterprises
• The need for social enterprise