2. A model Training course for Business Advisors
The training course for Business Advisers is designed according to the developed pilot plan adapted for each country.
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. For this, professionals who participate in the selection process must have a thorough knowledge of the characteristics of the future candidates to participate: educational level, career and work, family and social context, etc.
Thus, before starting the training course, Business Advisers have to be ready to fulfill the tasks to support everyone to do their best thinking and practice“. To do this, the Business Advisers encourage full participation, promote mutual understanding and cultivates shared responsibility. By supporting everyone to do their best thinking, Business Advisers enable learners to search for inclusive solutions (Sam Kaner, 2007). Working as facilitator Business Advisers have to know the main principles of working with learners from which the success depends. In the training, accompaniment is important, not only in their qualities or professional skills but also in the efficient management of those conflicts or personal areas of improvement that may be hindering the process of change. The Business Adviser is encouraged to be creative and flexible in terms of the learner's needs.
To realise these requirements, a process for recruitment and selection of Business Advisers was needed. The trainers from Adult Education Centers, associations, and NGO working in the sphere of entrepreneurship were recruited and selected through the Network or collaborating with mentioned institutions. Five Business Advisors were recruited in each partner country by interviewing or using CV.
Business Advisors are trained
on the Access Enterprise methodology –
Co-production
Co-production means delivering public services in an equal and reciprocal relationship between professionals, people using services. The target groups will contribute to the Access Enterprise project as equals.
The core principles of co-production:
1. Equality – co-production starts from the idea that no one group or person is more important than any other group or person. So everyone is equal and everyone has assets to bring to the process.
2. Diversity – diversity and inclusion are important values in co-production. This can be challenging but it is important that co-production projects are pro-active about diversity.
3. Accessibility – access needs to be recognised as a fundamental principle of co-production as the process needs to be accessible if everyone is going to take part on an equal basis. Accessibility is about ensuring that everyone has the same opportunity to take part in an activity fully, in a way that suits them best.
4. Reciprocity – ‘reciprocity’ is a key concept in co-production. It has been defined as ensuring that people receive something back for putting something in and building on people’s desire to feel needed and valued.
There are 6 key elements which are the foundation of using co-production principles:
- Taking an assets-based approach
- Building on people’s existing capabilities
- Reciprocity and mutuality
- Peer support networks
- Blurring distinctions
- Facilitating rather than delivering.
An exercise on the ladder of participation is prepared on how it is used within Access Enterprise.
Train the Trainers
event will be for Business Advisors to be able to implement Access Enterprise,
to understand the Access project methodology and the co-production model which
stands at the base of this project idea.
Training is delivered, identifying what works and not, to be able to improve.
Train the Trainers event is meant to be an interactive one, engaging in the target group of the project. Piloting should happen accordingly with a plan with clear goals, a length of time: decide upon the testing group and the content, address challenges.
Format training is Flip classroom (see below) - contents before online and face-to-face after.
This event has the purpose to present to the Business Advisors/Coaches: the Course Handbook with the training Modules 2 to 4, Step by step Guide as well as to gather feedback for the IO3 impact.
Business Advisors/ Business Coaches training looks more like a training and session plan.
At the end of the Train the Trainers event the participants should have clear in mind:
- Values & Principles;
- Co-production methods;
- Profiling of entrepreneur (what and how);
- Making the business a reality (understand and experience);
- Business planning tools (make sure they are familiar with and use them);
- Impact assessment tool.