Building Entrepreneurial Capacity for Migrants Through Online Learning

Project Summary

The main objective of the project is to provide professional training for refugees, leading to better employment opportunities and living conditions. Through developing the abilities of refugee trainers and acquiring knowledge of intermediary organizations catering to the needs of the refugee community, the integration of refugees will be fast-tracked into the labour market or the start-up of a business, while promoting the development of innovative and effective mechanisms ensuring employment.

Between 2015 and 2016, the countries of Europe and those bordering Syria, experienced an influx of more than 5 million Syrian refugees. Enabling migrants to become entrepreneurs lessens the effects of the crisis and facilitates social inclusion. Governments have been supporting refugees and integrating them into national health, education, employment and social services. However, this is not enough for integration into the labour market necessary for social-economic development.

Migrants face many challenges establishing and managing entrepreneurship in their host countries.

These are interlinked and stem from –

• limited host-country capital
• lack of understanding local labour markets
• lack of local business regulatory frameworks
• difficulties accessing local business networks
• lack of start-up capital and business facilities
• lack of language and cultural awareness
• lack of training programs

Our project partnership consists of 7 partners, three local institutions - Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality(KMM), Kahramanmaraş Sütçü Imam University (KSU), Kahramanmaraş Provincial Directorate of National Education, and four from Europe - International Centre for the Promotion of Education and Development (CEIPES), Anaptyxiako Kentro Thessalias (AKETH), Fonix AS, Wisamar Bildungsgesellschaftgemeinnuetzige GmbH (Wisamar),

Our strategic partnerships aim to support the development of adult learning and building entrepreneurial capacity for migrants, transfer of innovative practices as well as the implementation of joint initiatives promoting cooperation, peer learning and exchanges of experience at the European level.

Five international project meetings will be held, with the final meeting aimed at the effective and efficient management of the project and the follow-up of project activities and budget monitoring.

A needs analysis of the current refugee situation will be made by intermediary organizations working together with each partner. Analysis reports will also include how to develop the capacity of intermediary organizations to support the employment or the entrepreneurship of refugees. In addition, entrepreneurship, business planning, the legal aspects of setting up a company and the employee hiring process will receive focus.

Online training sessions and F2F workshops will be arranged for trainers in Italy as well as F2F training for the target groups included in the project. The online training and F2F workshop will include video lessons on the e-learning platform for trainers; sharing the approach and lessons taught during the workshop for trainers; practical tools and examples for refugees such as business planning, the legal aspects of setting up a company and hiring employees. Entrepreneurship training activities addressing the development of employers and entrepreneurs will be given by the Public Education Centre and Kahramanmaraş Municipality Vocational Education Directorate (KAMEK). Furthermore, the web portal will be developed for trainers.

All work-based learning programs for refugees through apprenticeships or those provided by refugee and intermediary organizations will be put together into one resource. An information campaign with supporting activities will be arranged to increase awareness about the benefits of hiring refugees.

The general and specific objectives of the project that will be realized are -

• train the trainers to increase migrant entrepreneurship
• support the creation, improvement and distribution of support schemes for migrant entrepreneurs
• identify potential entrepreneurs among migrants
• raise awareness about entrepreneurship within migrant communities
• develop sustainable multi-level partnership models integrating refugees into the job market
• value awareness of social inclusion through entrepreneurship
• empower disadvantaged groups among migrants by developing business skills and competencies

Website:

Coordinator:

• Kahramanmaras Metropolitan Municipality - TURKEY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• Kahramanmaras Il Milli Egitim Mudurlugu - TURKEY
• WISAMAR BILDUNGSGESELLSCHAFT GEMEINNUTZIGE GMBH - GERMANY
• FONIX AS - NORWAY
• CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE PER LA PROMOZIONE DELL'EDUCAZIONE E LO SVILUPPO ASSOCIAZIONE - ITALY
• KAHRAMANMARAS SUTCU IMAM UNIVERSITESI - TURKEY