ECO: European Challenges and Opportunities

ECO: European Challenges and Opportunities is a project which promotes entrepreneurship among recently graduated youth, improving their employability and encouraging their active participation in society.

Background:
Youth in Sao Joao da Madeira will be invited to suggest an entrepreneurial project which will improve their local community. Their project ideas must be chosen with one of the following themes in mind:

• Innovative Industry
• Creative Industry
• International Trade
• Entrepreneurial Experiences

From all the applications, sixty projects will be chosen to take part in the ECO programme; which includes workshops, short courses, job shadowing, internship opportunities and discussion panels. Youth from other countries will also be invited to take part in the programme.

During the project, partners from the Czech Republic, Portugal, England and Scotland will create an entrepreneurship programme with the following aims:

• Young people will achieve an increased sense of initiative and entrepreneurship and improved levels of skills for employability and new business creation.
• Increased competence in foreign languages and a greater understanding and responsiveness to social linguistic and cultural diversity by taking part in the international programmes of the project.
• Active participation in society; improved competences, linked to their professional profiles and therefore increased opportunities for professional and personal success.

Project Length: 24 months

Start Date: March, 2016

Budget Total: €106782.00

Financed By: Erasmus+ KA-2 Strategic Partnership

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The target group of the project is young people and recent graduates who are having difficulties finding their first employment. By offering skills in entrepreneurship and languages, the young person will have a new market to use their skills and the will increase their chances of finding employment.

The results of this project are expected to impact the following groups of people:

1. The 60-120 young people who are accepted to the programme.
2.The 1200 participants (400 per event) who take part in multiplier events in Portugal, including; younsters directly involved, youngsters not directly involved, entrepreneurs, support entities from the local community and national authorities.
3.Website and newsletter readers, such as local communities of partners, education and training systems, universities and work groups.
4.The staff of partner organisations.

The ECO project combines the expertise of:

• European Development Agency(EUDA) Czech Republic
• Municípo de Sao Joao da Madeira Portugal
• Escola Inglesa, Sao Joao da Madeira Portugal
• Centro Technológico Calcado de Portugal (CTCP) Portugal
• Twin Training International, London England
• University of the Highlands and Islands, Inverness Scotland