TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Aleksandr Post
The primary aim of the training course "Leaders For The Young Entrepreneurs" was to support the entrepreneurship of unemployed young people, ensure their presence in the labor market, and thus contribute to reducing the youth unemployment rate. It focused on developing the competences of youth workers to guide and advise young people, especially disadvantaged youth (NEETs, those from low socio-economic/rural areas), in making their ideas and dreams come true.
Specific objectives included developing youth worker competences in: Basic training on initiating startups and entrepreneurship; Using interactive infographics for entrepreneurial competence; Understanding and designing relevant entrepreneurship projects for unemployed youth; Practical skills in implementing these projects; Digital literacy for the modern world; Using digital tools to help youth become entrepreneurs; Methods for young people to develop and innovate new products.
The project addressed the identified common problem among partner institutions of being unable to adequately support youth entrepreneurship. This included insufficient capacity to guide youth on accessing opportunities, implementing initiatives, understanding project creation stages, building sectoral connections, and developing necessary digital skills. It also addressed the broader societal need to reduce youth unemployment and recognise the role of employment in shaping youth identity and independence.
The project directly addressed the shared need identified by the partner institutions (NGOs, a university, a governorship focused on youth entrepreneurship) to enhance their capacity to support young entrepreneurs. By developing youth workers' competences, the project aimed to improve the quality and effectiveness of the youth work carried out by these organisations in the field of entrepreneurship and employability.
The target group for this training course was 31 youth workers, youth leaders, and activists from the partner organizations. Participants were mainly aged between 18 and 40. They were required to be able to work in English, be active learners available for the entire course, motivated to participate fully, and willing to act as multipliers by sharing the knowledge gained within their organizations.
The training course involved participants from 7 countries: Germany (Host), Türkiye, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and North Macedonia.
This Training Course utilized informal youth work approaches to develop specific competences in youth workers related to youth entrepreneurship. The training covered: basic startup initiation; using interactive infographics; understanding and designing entrepreneurship projects relevant to unemployed youth; practical skills in project implementation; digital literacy; digital tools for entrepreneurs; and methods for product development and innovation. The working language was English.
The training focused on developing youth workers' proficiency through informal methods to enhance their ability to support young entrepreneurs.
The training course aimed to develop youth workers' competences in guiding young people towards entrepreneurship. Expected outcomes included enhanced youth worker proficiency in:
- Training youth on startup initiation and entrepreneurship basics.
- Using interactive infographics to build entrepreneurial competence.
- Understanding how to create entrepreneurship projects relevant to unemployed youth.
- Designing and implementing entrepreneurship projects practically.
- Digital literacy to help young people compete in the digital world.
- Using digital tools to help young people become entrepreneurs and access global opportunities.
- Methods for guiding youth in developing and innovating new products. The ultimate impact sought was for youth workers to better support young people (especially NEETs) in developing entrepreneurial skills, implementing innovative ideas, starting businesses, gaining resilience, and entering the labor market. Participants were also expected to act as multipliers of the knowledge gained.
Success can be measured by the youth workers' enhanced competences in the specific areas related to entrepreneurship support detailed in the project's objectives, and their subsequent ability to implement improved youth work practices and act as multipliers within their organizations and communities.
- Delivering training sessions covering the core competence areas: startup basics, entrepreneurial skills building (e.g., using infographics), designing and implementing youth entrepreneurship projects, digital literacy for youth, relevant digital tools for entrepreneurs, and methods for product development/innovation.
- Employing non-formal education methods suitable for youth workers, focusing on practical application and skill development relevant to supporting young (potential) entrepreneurs, particularly NEETs.
- Guiding participants through learning activities, facilitating discussions, and providing practical exercises to build their skills in coaching and mentoring young people in their entrepreneurial journey.
- Tailoring approaches to meet the learning needs of youth workers with varying levels of prior experience in entrepreneurship support.
- Encouraging and enabling participants to transfer their learning into concrete actions and resources within their sending organisations and local communities.
- Overseeing the educational flow of the training, managing group dynamics and contributing to the evaluation of learning outcomes.