Training for managerial competences in VET (Vocational Education and Training) for the small businesses of the crafts sector
2020-2022, KA202 – Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training
STARTCRAFT is a two-year project built by a consortium of seven organisations from Belgium, Greece, Italy, Poland and Spain. The main aim is to increase innovation, growth and sustainablity in the crafts business sector. We want to get to know the training needs of small to medium craft enterprises in each of the partner countries and develop tools to help the bussineses grow. The project will result in a complete set of educative materials for craft entrepreneurs and educators, such as online learning resources, and country reports on the situation of craft businesses.
Organiser: Official Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Belgium and Luxembourg (Belgium)
Strategic partners: KAINOTOMIA & SIA EE (Greece), Stowarzyszenie Centrum Wspierania Edukacji i Przedsiębiorczości (Poland), Asociación Valencia Inno Hub (Spain), Markeut Skills Sociedad Limitada (Spain), Smooland Di Dell’osso Marco (Italy), and Association for the Promotion of Old Crafts and Culture “Wici” (Poland).
See project website.
Download project leaflet in PDF .
Stage 1. Research
In the first quarter of 2021, we conducted a survey among teachers, educators, and trainers in vocational and lifelong learning in order to find out their views on entrepreneurship education in Poland. In the next stage, we conducted group and individual interviews with entrepreneurs from the crafts sector to understand their experience of running a business in Poland and to examine their needs regarding training and acquiring key skills to further develop their businesses. The research results will be used to prepare digital training materials for entrepreneurs. You can find the summary and full report here.
Download this presentation in PDF.
Stage 2. Training materials
In the second half of 2021, the StartCraft consortium began work on educational materials for entrepreneurs in the craft sector. They will be available in the form of a free, interactive learning platform. The topics for training have been chosen on the basis of research results from stage 1.
Stage 3. Mobile report
Our mobile report about crafts entrepreneurship teaching and crafts entrepreneurial skills demand is now ready! Download the application in the Google Play app store.
Read more about the mobile report in the StartCraft newsletter 1.
Stage 4. Platform testing
Based on the training materials prepared by the consortium experts in Stage 2., an interactive educational platform has been designed and programmed. User experience research has been conducted to gain insight into how future users perceive the functionality, design, and content of the platform. While the platform targets craft students and business owners, the consortium is working on a series of resources directed at craft entrepreneurship teachers and trainers. They will be released as Teaching Notes in the final stage of the StartCraft project.
Read more about the current activities and forthcoming results in the StartCraft newsletter 2.
Stage 5. The platform for entrepreneurs is launched
The most important and key result of the StartCraft project is a training platform aimed at entrepreneurs in the creative sector and people who are thinking about starting their own businesses. The platform is completely free and very easy to use. It includes 17 training modules on topics such as marketing, creative thinking, fundraising for entrepreneurs, product photography, the cultural importance of crafts, and much more. The platform also includes teaching materials for teachers and educators in the field of entrepreneurship as well as case studies of specific companies that illustrate the practical application of the knowledge contained in the modules. Check it out!
See also newsletter No. 3 to find out what else happened at this stage of the project.
Stage 6. Consortium final meeting
On September 28–29, 2022, the partners of the StartCraft consortium met in Brussels to summarize the project and plan events to disseminate it in each of the partner countries. After 3 years of running the project during the pandemic, we finally had the opportunity to see one another in person! Check out newsletter 4 for a summary of this event.
Stage 7. Multiplier event and press coverage in Poland
Our research on the situation of entrepreneurs in the craft sector attracted the interest of a journalist from Gazeta Wyborcza, the business department, who interviewed our president. Anna Raczkowska commented on the results and conclusions of the entire StartCraft project. If you are interested in the content of the research, read the report and summary. The interview with Anna Raczkowska was published on October 4, 2022, in paper and digital versions. Have a look at the article on the Gazeta Wyborcza website (in Polish only).
On October 1, 2022, the WICI Association organized an event to popularize the StartCraft project. The event was part of a one-day celebration of Weaver’s Day at the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum in Łódź. WICI members gave an hour-long presentation, starting with an introduction to the WICI profile and mission, moving on to the Erasmus + program, and the main part—the presentation of the StartCraft consortium and the results of the two-year collaboration. The e-learning platform for entrepreneurs in the craft sector aroused the most emotions. During the meeting, participants could test the platform. We would like to thank everyone for participating and asking interesting questions!
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