TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Juan Ratto-Nielsen
AIMS:
• To help youth workers/youth leaders to raise awareness in young people about the entrepreneurial potential of their “Youth in Action” projects (in particular youth initiatives).
• To support youth workers to develop their understanding and competences in the field of entrepreneurial learning.
OBJECTIVES:
• To clarify the meaning of youth entrepreneurship in different culture and countries;
• To identify potential benefits of entrepreneurial learning in the Youth in Action Programme;
• To present case studies with entrepreneurial follow-up measures in “Youth in Action” projects;
• To share tools and methods to encourage and prepare young people to undertake entrepreneurial activities as a follow-up of their “Youth in Action” project;
• To identify resources and challenges needed to implement entrepreneurial initiatives;
• To offer space for exchanging experiences and good practices in the field of entrepreneurial learning among players in three fields: non-formal
education, formal education and business;
• To encourage international and cross-sector partnerships and identify resources for future cooperation.
GROUP: A total of 20 participants - youth workers, youth leaders, and project coordinators - attended the Seminar. The participants came from different organisations based in Youth in Action Programme countries (Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Sweden, Turkey, Italy and the United Kingdom).
TEAM:
• Fatima Laanan - Coordinator, SALTO-YOUTH Participation Resource Centre
• Anna Villani - Project Officer - Office - Italian National Agency of the Youth in Action Programme
• Raluca Diroescu - Project Officer - SALTO-YOUTH Participation Resource Centre
• Ildikó Gulácsi - Coordinator of the Training and Information Team, Youth in Action Programme Office Hungarian National Agency
• Benjamin Billet - Programme Officer, UNGDOMSSTYRELSEN, The Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs
• Juan Ratto-Nielsen - Facilitator - INTER-ACCION - Spain
The Seminar consisted of both a practical part with team building and project design sessions and an informative part delivered by experts and focused on entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial learning and youth initiatives within the Youth in Action Programme and upcoming Erasmus+ Programme.
Both parts ran in parallel while interlocking throughout the seminar, as its main goal was the exchange of experiences, best practices and tools, and development of entrepreneurship-related projects.
Group exercises and team development activities were used to foster group cohesion, negotiation and presentation strategies.Presentations, practical workshops and exercises provided background information, and assessment through group dynamics to implement the crosscutting focus on entrepreneurship.
The programme was divided in 4 full working days and 1 on-arrival evening activity.
Once the main contents of the Seminar were addressed and conclusions drawn, an open space was provided to participants to discus topics, share experiences and develop future projects by setting their own agenda.
As a result, out of the10 sessions that were proposed, 8 were initiated, run and presented by the participants.
The major outcome of this seminar were 4 projects, developed by 4 workgroups, out of 20 partners/project requests:
1. THE ART OF YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP
2. RE - CYCLE
3. LOOKING FOR YOU AND ME
4. BE ACTIVE! BE ENTREPRENEURIAL!
The personal aims achieved during the seminar were in consonance with the seminar’s aims, as well:
• Discovered new fields and activities
• Future projects
• Cooperation with National Agency
• Networking
• Ability to distinguish the role of entrepreneurial learning and entrepreneurship within youth work
• Understanding of the general framework ofthe subject
• More knowledge about different approaches to entrepreneurship
• Got motivated to go on working with the Youth in Action Programme
• Learnt that entrepreneurship is not just about creating new businesses but also about creating new attitudes in youngsters
• Changed attitude towards the word ‘entrepreneurship’ and understood its need in owncountry and personal life
• Best practices to adapt to local projects
• Learned about entrepreneurship and the organisation of international initiatives
All participants considered that they found new ideas and/or partners for future cooperation in the field of youth entrepreneurship as described in the future projects and learning outcomes.
Full-time facilitator during the Seminar.