Entrepreneurship Marathon

Özet, Erasmus+ Project Results platformunda yayımlanan İngilizce metindir.

Amaç

The issue of youth unemployment was a significant concern globally, with European countries experiencing a youth unemployment rate of 20.4 percent. Entrepreneurship had been identified as a vital solution to this problem, as it played a crucial role in economies worldwide. Despite efforts to promote entrepreneurship through university courses, additional measures were deemed necessary to address the challenges entrepreneurs faced, such as access to capital, finding investors, decision-making, team formation, and gaining knowledge and experience.
Successful entrepreneurship not only brought economic benefits but also fostered social integration and contributed to shaping the future world. Encouraging entrepreneurial activities from a young age was seen as an important investment for the future, yet challenges remained in cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets among youth. Practical training and education could help demystify entrepreneurship and develop entrepreneurial skills.
Research commissioned by Amway Europe highlighted the widespread appeal of entrepreneurship, with reasons such as being one's own boss and flexible working hours driving interest. However, fear of failure and knowledge limitations posed significant obstacles. Additionally, attitudes towards entrepreneurship varied greatly among EU member states, with the region lagging behind the USA in entrepreneurial dynamism.
To address high unemployment rates and promote economic growth, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit was deemed essential. Entrepreneurship had the potential to create jobs, revitalize economies, and promote social and economic cohesion. Without nurturing entrepreneurship, unemployment remain a significant threat. While various factors impacted a country's welfare, entrepreneurship stood out as a key driver of economic growth and social development.
In our project, activities were carried out to identify the obstacles to entrepreneurship that would enable young people to lead a more active life in the future, cope with these obstacles, and thus increase the entrepreneurial spirit of young people, considering the atrophy of entrepreneurship in today's youth. With this project, the aim was to develop and implement innovative ideas that included digital-oriented, productivity-based, smart solutions, where young people activated their knowledge and skills and revealed their entrepreneurial spirit.
In this context, the overall aim of the project was to increase the entrepreneurship skills of young people. The specific objectives of our project idea were listed as follows:
-To make young people understand the mentality of entrepreneurship.
-To teach young people the basic principles of establishing a company and doing transnational trade.
– To increase the competence of young people to mentor their peers correctly in the process of emergence of innovative business ideas.
-To bring a professional perspective to entrepreneurship in an interactive way by establishing the mentor-mentee relationship.
-To teach young people the principles of being a leader and/or team member, making decisions, obeying decisions, having empathy and having a sense of responsibility.
-To introduce the entrepreneurship ecosystem to young people and to enable them to see themselves as a part of this ecosystem.

Uygulama

The project was structured around various activities aimed at preparing participants for the day, conducting training sessions throughout the day, engaging in additional activities, and evaluating daily progress. Initially, a recreational activity was organized to prepare individuals for the day ahead and boost motivation. Following this, there were mentoring sessions and brief informational meetings focusing on innovation, supported by presentations emphasizing environmentally friendly and sustainable innovation ideas. Training on sustainability was provided to ensure that innovative business concepts remained viable and contributed to economic growth.
The sustainability event included educational content supplemented by real-life experiences, success stories, and mentorship opportunities. Another training session covered the effective utilization of digital tools in entrepreneurship, emphasizing their positive impact. Examples of successful digitalization strategies were showcased, illustrating its role in the development of ideas into marketable products.

Each day concluded with culturally enriching activities reflecting the host country's traditions, fostering an appreciation for cultural diversity and exchange. These activities underscored the value of diversity, aligning with the EU's core mission.
Additional activities encompassed group meetings, dynamic exercises, introductions to Erasmus+ 2021-2027, teaching the fundamental principles of Youthpass 8, and collaborative planning for future endeavors.
The project engaged 7 young participants from each country, aged 18-27, alongside group leaders with a minimum of 5 years' experience in the Erasmus program and aged over 25. Additionally, the inclusion of two socially or economically disadvantaged or immigrant young people from each country aimed to promote inclusivity and diversity within the project.

Sonuçlar

Within the scope of our project, young people were empowered to develop their business ideas and supported in acquiring entrepreneurial behaviors. All activities were designed to interact with young people, aiming for them to internalize their experiences and turn them into habits over time. The expectation was that they start implementing these behaviors in their own lives, expand their impact to their surroundings, and eventually contribute to the broader community, thus ensuring the sustainability of the project's impact.
Participants were equipped with concrete knowledge and skills related to entrepreneurship processes, alongside developing qualities such as leadership, financial decision-making, managerial skills, and continuity. The main objective of the project was to provide support to young entrepreneurs in realizing their entrepreneurial ideas through training and capacity-building activities. The implementation roadmap aimed to enhance the quantity and quality of young entrepreneur potential in Europe and promote entrepreneurship culture among young people.
An important effect of the project was its contribution to employment by motivating young people to become entrepreneurs. Through the International Entrepreneurship Marathon application, potential business ideas were developed, and young people were guided through mentoring, increasing their awareness about entrepreneurship.
Activities conducted within the project included:
– Developing an ecosystem involving young people.
– Organizing events in partner organizations across Europe to promote the project and platform.
– Coordinating mixed mobility programs for young people from each country to test and evaluate methodologies.
Listening to entrepreneurial practices, success stories, and expert insights increased young people's motivation in the long term and fostered sustainability. Active participation in group work and developing entrepreneurial spirit enhanced their engagement in youth activities and teamwork efficiency.
Interaction with peers from different cultures during the project implementation provided opportunities for intercultural dialogue and enriched experiences for participants. Cultural nights and language diversity within the project promoted curiosity about different languages and cultures.
The project's English language focus contributed to enhancing language proficiency among participants during project activities. Additionally, disadvantaged young people who previously couldn't benefit from such projects had the chance to broaden their horizons, leading to personal development and increased self-confidence.
Utilizing methods such as focus groups, presentations, discussions, brainstorming, and group interactions encouraged young people to think critically and express themselves effectively, further contributing to their personal growth.