PROJUVEN started the year, hosting the mobility “Drive the change”, a KA1 training course financed by the European Commission and INJUVE, through Erasmus Plus programme. The project was implemented from 11th to 18th January, 2019 in Torremolinos, Málaga area and involved participants coming from Italy, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Spain.
The main objective of the training was to strengthen youth workers’ insight and knowledge on social entrepreneurship and accelerate the further development of social entrepreneurship culture across the EU.
During our first day, participants had the chance to get to know each other through different non formal games as well as were introduced to the project timetable, objectives and our main topic – Social Entrepreneurship. Through a MINDMAP activity, participants explored the main dimensions of entrepreneurship and its application to social sector and all together we implemented other activities aimed to analyse social entrepreneurship in EU and partners’ countries.
In the following days, they learned more about the skills needed to be a social entrepreneur, the difference between the critical thinking and creative thinking. After discovering the most important skills that social entrepreneurs have, youth workers were invited to describe the skills that led to success persons such as Muhammad Yunus, Blake Mycoskie, Ibrahim Abouleish, etc. Later participants were pushed to think about an idea of social entrepreneurship to develop. Indeed, working in small groups they built up their social enterprise taking in consideration youth needs and civil society needs explained in the previous session. A lot of non-formal games and teambuilding activities helped participants to develop their creativity and innovation skills.
Participants used the brainstorming method to discuss the limitations and barriers at the time of elaborating an idea of social enterprise. A debriefing putted an emphasis on the possible solutions to overcome these limitations/barriers. Youth workers were introduced to two “Business models” – Business plan and business model CANVAS. After a proper explanation about CANVAS, participants were asked to put the learnings into practise. Moreover, all the groups developed the whole Canvas model for the given social enterprise business.
In addition, participants were introduced to different programmes and the several type of funds available for a social enterprise (private, public and European funds). Participants discovered that a given funding opportunity might apply to different stages of development of a social enterprise.
In the end of each training day, we had a space for discussion and feedback regarding “How was my day?” where participants could express what they learnt, enjoyed, and also they were invited to give their opinion if something needed to be changed. Our training course finished with the final evaluation and released of the Youthpass certificates to all participants. In addition, during the final session, Erasmus + programme and its opportunities for youth were presented.
