The project started on October 2011 and will run until SEPTEMBER 2013.

Entrepreneurial competences guidance and learning during the life of people could become a successful employment solution, and Europe should improve this field of intervention, still having lower performance in new business creation in comparison with other countries, US and Japan, or the BRIC countries. Furthermore, the challenge to connect VET systems with the entrepreneurial world remains one hot issue for all educational agencies, which are engaged in VET and labor market inclusion, mainly of young people and women, also with migrant backgrounds. The project proposal aims at introducing and fostering, especially among youths, the entrepreneurial mindsets, with a particular focus on small businesses, cooperatives and social businesses, encouraging a stronger cooperation between VET system and the business world, transferring:

The Self-evaluation Tool called “I can ... I cannot ... I go!” targeted to support guidance paths for an informed and aware entrepreneurial choice. This guidance tool, self-directed by the learners with the support of tutor/coach/guidance counselor, is IT-based and follows a narrative, biographical and holistic approach. It helps to sustain young people in a self-evaluation process about their attitudes, ability, competences, motivations to start-up a new business or an independent work.

Training methodology (e-learning) and training modules targeted to enhance entrepreneurial knowledge and competences (“To know how to be, to know how to do: Young Entrepreneurs”).

Through the adaptation, methodological and technological, and the testing of the two “project products” (“I can...I cannot...I go!” and “Young Entrepreneur”) the partnership will develop a common guidance and training model for the implementation of the entrepreneurial key competences in VET provisions.

The partnership is composed by 7 organizations, coming from 4 EU countries: Italy (Centre and South), Finland, Slovenia and Spain. The leading partner is the local trade association of enterprises of Palermo (Sicily), supported in the project implementation and coordination by partners with a longstanding experience in transnational partnership, and engaged in the knowledge triangle of research, education and enterprise.

Vocational and technical secondary schools students are one of the target groups, but we will test our model also with adults, in continuous training or with an entrepreneurial idea, through the start-ups desks of the trade associations involved. Expected outcomes are to carry on a transfer of innovation from the Italian experiences to other 3 countries and to adapt methods and tools in terms of contents, languages and ICT, assuring a wide dissemination in all partners’ languages and in English. Overall outputs and outcomes will impact on the key actors of the VET system, linking it with local enterprises nets, answering to the learners’ need to experience a closer relationship with the work environment.