Training course (PT)

The approach of the training course for Entrepreneurs is more as the journey of the entrepreneur and to support participants setting their business and not teaching them on how to be an entrepreneur. Both Business Advisors and potential entrepreneurs should understand that the main outcome about the project and AE methodology is not to create a business, but to aware people from vulnerable groups about being entrepreneurs in their own life and pathways they can choose for a better life.

Entrepreneurs, as Business Advisors are trained on the Access Enterprise methodology – Co-production. This means that target groups will contribute to the project as equals. (See above chapter 3).

It is very important for the success of the process, that the selection of the participants in the course is appropriate to the level of the contents. It would be the best that Entrepreneurs in the training course should have the following features:

• Motivation;
• Needs for training;
• Have move forward with an idea;
• Skills and competencies on entrepreneurship, social and civic;
• Changes in mindset/ attitude;
• The way they perceive entrepreneurship;
• Ability to receive support/ feedback;
• Empowerment: the ability to cope/ manage with daily life.

The potential entrepreneurs are recruited from associated partners who support disadvantaged groups and selected based on their motivation to start a business and the ability to accept support and guidance.

Training for entrepreneurs is developing as following:

• Flip classroom;
• Coaching/ mentoring sessions;
• Capacity building workshops.

During the piloting a Flipped classroom – the type of blended learning – is used where learners are introduced to content online at home and practice working through it during the face to face meetings, encouraging learners to ask questions, analyze, search for answers and solutions to problems, discuss possible obstacles and challenges, make sure if they correctly understood the content, concepts of theoretical material and what ideas they have got for practical use of the material in real life.

More often than not, mentoring and coaching are used interchangeably in the business context.

As the approach of the training course for Entrepreneurs is more as the journey of the entrepreneur and support setting their business, the mentor has to act as an advisor, counselor, or guide entrepreneurs along the path that can eventually lead to pathways they can choose for a better life.

The training course for entrepreneurs includes:

• Online sessions - Self-directed learning working at home-before each face to face session on the topics of each module;
• Face to face sessions:
• Getting to know each other: Introductory part. Presentation of the participants, their needs, expectation, interest. Training rules. Presentation the structure of Access Enterprise training course, flexible time table, learning materials, methodology and the benefits of knowledge-based innovation and adaptability in their lives;
• Going through modules;
• Reflection on the training;
• Evaluating.

The outcome of piloting is not for starting a business but to have a plan.