Introducing the EntreComp Framework In 2016, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission – in partnership with DG Employment and Social Affairs and Inclusion – published EntreComp: The European Competences Framework. The framework consists of 15 key competences that professionals in the domain of entrepreneurial teaching and training recognised as instrumental to facilitate, nurture and support the emergence of entrepreneurial spirits, sense of initiatives and professional empowerment among EU citizens. The range of impact of EntreComp is very broad as it can be implemented and applied beyond the typical settings tackling entrepreneurial coaching. In the view of EntreComp, entrepreneurship is conceived as a competence, rather than a “profession”, this means that targets are encouraged to develop entrepreneurial sense of initiative despite their real intention to become entrepreneurs or not. When entrepreneurship is dealt as a competence, people can engage in entrepreneurial attitudes and values in all domain of societies, including active citizenship, social inclusion and equal opportunities. Nevertheless, the EntreComp framework remains a very valuable resource for all aspiring (and established) entrepreneurs to seek for new inspiring training opportunities and guidelines that they can apply to their everyday-scenarios. Each of the 15 (and following) competences in fact represents a key dimension of interest to which all entrepreneurs relates to on a daily basis – regardless of the dimension of their organisation, covered markets, services/goods offered to customers. Moreover, the EntreComp represents the largest efforts at cross-sectorial and transnational dimension to build consensus on a shared definition of entrepreneurship to which both practitioners and academics can agree on. The EntreComp can find many different application, but all and all, its common use consists in referring to it as a model of reference for the design of training curricula for entrepreneurial capacity building programmes, and following learning outcomes based on an 8-layer proficiency model provided by the very same framework. Policy Background The roots of the EntreComp dates back to December 2006 when The European Parliament and the Council of Europe published on the Official Journal of the European Union a joint recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning (LLL). The policy paper mainstreams detailed guidelines for the development and adoption at EU and country level of a common a common framework of reference aimed at: Identifying competences/skills for people’s empowerment (i.e., employability, social inclusion, active citizenship) in knowledge driven economies and societies. Sustaining Member States in assuring the effectiveness and impact of national education curricula for employability of young people, and fostering further training opportunities for seniors and adults for re-qualification, upskilling, professional development, and social inclusion. Sharing and validating a EU-level reference models for national stakeholders, professionals in the domain of education, and final targets to spread a common ground of reference that is recognizable regardless the geographical context of application. Facilitating the transition towards the 2010’s Education and Training Programmes and provide a framework for further correlated actions. These EU-level reference models as aforementioned were supposed to address 8 key competences envisioned by the EU Parliament and Council as instrumental for the valorisation of EU citizens’ LLL competences. Not surprisingly, Sense of initiative and Entrepreneurship is included in this list, referred to simply as Entrepreneurship Competences in the 2018’s update. 10 (or more) years later, most of these competences have been addressed separately with their own dedicated competence framework: DigComp for Digital Competences, LifeComp for Learning to Learn, and of course, EntreComp for Sense of initiative and Entrepreneurship. Structure and design of the EntreComp Framework Training areas: IDEA & OPPORTUNITIES RESOURCES INTO ACTION The 8-layer proficiency model: More in specific: What we just saw represents the surface level of the EntreComp, the dimension to which most are familiar with. However, the EntreComp framework goes much more in detail than that… Each of the 15 competences is further broken down into a series of threads (i.e., sub-competences): by bridging each thread to each of the 8 proficiency level, the EntreComp lists a total of 442 learning outcomes that tutors and teachers can refer to for the planning of coaching programmes based on theirs and targets’ expectations. For a consultation of all thread and the framework in its entirety, please consult the PART D of the following document. Such a large range of education and training opportunities makes of the EntreComp a very flexible resources that can find implementation and development in several contexts: from “starter pack” training programmes, to advanced entrepreneurial curricula. …among the initiatives of such kind, In October 2019, 8 Partners from 6 countries – Belgium, Greece, Italy, Germany, Romania and Poland – met in Cottbus (DE) for the Kick-Off Meeting of the EntreComp Implementation (ECI), a project co-financed by Erasmus+ Programme. The project aims at improving the training and education opportunities on entrepreneurial competences in VET ecosystems across EU. At the end of last summer, the ECI Partnership finalised a detailed cross-reference analysis among the EntreComp Framework, ESCO (the classification of European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupation) and the EQF (European Qualifications Framework): a bond that the literature review – finalised during the development of the National Reports – proved to be highly consistent but still tangibly missing and not fully exploited. The ultimate objective of this desk assessment was to establish an initial and operational connection between the EntreComp framework and the other two. This task allowed partners to operationalise a new model – the ECI model – for entrepreneurship valorisation and mainstreaming of entrepreneurial spirits across the VET dimension. What followed after was the development of training material inspired and compliant to EntreComp, precisely, to six of the 15 competences: Partners invested energies, times and efforts to comply with time schedule and quali/quantitative standards as discussed and foreseen during proposal. The design of the modules in terms of content, structure, learning outcome has been facilitated by a series of monthly brainstorming -sessions in which partners had the opportunity to validate their ideas and have meaningful exchanges of views with colleagues. To know more about the project and participating organisation, please visit ECI website.
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Starting from Summer 2020, the ECI’s consortium has been deeply involved in the finalisation and valorisation at EU level of the training material developed as formal deliverable of Intellectual Output 3: six training modules conceived to support the EU VET ecosystem in fostering the wide-scale inclusion and embracement of the EntreComp Framework as a reference model for entrepreneurial coaching. All material is available for free and in open access format via ECI’s website. The final structure of the curricula is as follow: Training module Training units Creativity Prepared by Demostene Creativity in EntreComp Stimulating creativity Guidelines and practical exercises Ethical and Sustainable thinking Prepared by CIT and AESD Behave ethically Think sustainably Assess impact Be accountable Self-Awareness and Efficacy Prepared by IHF Reflect on your aspirations and wants Identify your strengths and weaknesses Influence the courses of the events Mobilising Others Prepared by d-ialogo and EEO Conviction through enthusiasm and inspiration Communication: effective, media oriented and sustainable Persuading and inspiring others in value-creating activities Taking the Initiative Prepared by IDP Initiate Processes that create values Take Up Challenges Stick to intentions and carry on your plans Copying with risk Prepared by DELTA Introduction and basics The decision-making process Risk in business Around the very same period, the Joint Research Centre from the European Commission published also the third official EntreComp’s follow-up: EntreComp Playbook. Professionals in the domain of entrepreneurial education that wish to rely on our training material to enrich and diversify their training offer can rely on the EntreComp Playbook the design their overall piloting strategies… The EntreComp Playbook evolves around three key reference dimensions that might guide tutors and training experts in their education and testing activities: The 9 EntreComp Principles. (E)xperience (N)ovelty (T)riggers (R)eflection (E)cosystem (C)ollaboration (O)thers (M)entoring (P)rogression Methods Effectuation Design thinking The lean Startup method Project based learning Playful experimentation Classrooms as learning communities Tools and Techniques Design and learning intervention Training design canvas Plan for an entrepreneurial learning intervention Create a safe facilitating learning space Challenges marketplace Work plan and timeline Spider diagram to foster entrepreneurial learning Set up an entrepreneurial learning workshop RAMP dimension Align to EntreComp principles Collaborative face drawing Play with hidden rules Means inventory Five roles Frame the value creation idea Look around Mindmap Guilford’s alternate uses task Random combination Brainstorming Dot voting Six thinking hats Elevator pitch SMART goals Understand your users Empathy map Golden circle Personas The being entrepreneurial canvas Scanning the landscape Ecosystem map Issue cards Business model canvas Lean canvas SWOT analysis SOAR analysis Use scenario User’s journey Prototype Pitch deck P2P rubric Self-reflection on learning achievements Draw your EntreComp flower Critique for the future EntreComp vs tools Users of ECI’s training material can combine the two resources to provide their targets evidence-based and innovation-lead training offer capable of inspiring and valorising a renewed sense of self-awareness and efficacy, initiative and motivation among EU aspiring entrepreneurs and citizens. To know more about the ECI project and involved partners please consult: https://entre-comp.eu/training.php
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In 2016, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission – in partnership with DG Employment and Social Affairs and Inclusion – published EntreComp: The European Competences Framework. The framework consists of 15 key competences that professionals in the domain of entrepreneurial teaching and training recognised as instrumental to facilitate, nurture and support the emergence of entrepreneurial spirits, sense of initiatives and professional empowerment among EU citizens. Since its official publication, the JRC gathered further public interest on the model after releasing two very interesting follow-up document: A detailed tool for all individuals on how to implement the framework with reference to their targets and operational settings (vocational education and training, active citizenship, social inclusion and equal opportunities for all, etc.). Moreover, the document provides for 70 case scenarios of EntreComp’s implementation that users can rely on as trustworthy best-practices for their own source of inspiration. Year of publication: 2018 Following the same ratio of the previous, the “At Work” follow-up illustrates concrete means, recommendations and guidelines on how to transfer the framework in training and education settings for professionalization, capability building and employability. A total of 10 case studies give detailed insights into actual exploitation strategies of the EntreComp is support of Lifelong Learning opportunities in the labour market. Year of Publication: 2020 ECI – EntreComp Implementation is a transnational project co-financed by the E+ programme aimed at valorising new training opportunities for the European VET ecosystem based on the EntreComp Framework. To know more about our initiatives, research, involved partners and training curricula please consult ECI’s website.
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The ECI Partnership met online for the fourth Transnational Project Meeting of ECI (EntreComp Implementation), a Project co-funded by the Erasmus Plus Programme of the European Commission, which brings together eight Partners from six different countries (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Romania). The meeting was held in online mode due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Consortium opened the meeting by reflecting on the project; specifically, the tasks performed and the time schedule. Then, Partners presented the main findings, illustrating the progress achieved in the development of the Intellectual Outputs. Financial management issues were also analyzed. Finally, the Partnership took stock of the situation regarding the next deadlines. The Partnership is pleased to inform that the training content is finally available online in all languages represented by the Consortium (English, German, Italian, Greek, Romanian, and Polish) and it is free for consultation (http://entre-comp.eu/training.php). The development of the training modules kick-started during summer 2020; Partners invested energies, times and efforts to comply with time schedule and quali/quantitative standards as discussed and foreseen during proposal. The design of the modules in terms of content, structure, and learning outcomes has been facilitated by a series of monthly brainstorming sessions in which Partners had the opportunity to validate their ideas and have meaningful exchanges of views with their colleagues. All training materials are EQF- and ESCO-compliant – a cross-referencing in which Partners invested several months of close collaboration (please check the “Model” section for further references). The emerged results allowed Partners to finalise a common methodology that provides for common understanding and shared guidelines upon all IO3-related activities. The final Output consists in six training modules, each of which focusing on a specific EntreComp competence as highlighted by the framework. The material is organised as follows: For a more comprehensive understanding of the subject, each training module is subdivided into further didactic units, at the end of which there is a short self-assessment sheet. The training modules come with a short document (the so called “training fiche”) that summarises key concepts and main takeaways. Website: http://entre-comp.eu/
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On October 14th 2020, all project partners took part in the third transnational project meeting of EntreComp Implementation. This occasion represented a great opportunity to stocktake the implementation status of the project in terms of communication results, ECI’s visibility and awareness among coaches and educators in the domain of entrepreneurial knowledge, Public Authorities and Policy Makers operating in the filed of VET and employment. All partners re-analysed the results and trends emerged from each national context and brainstormed on consistent key and strategic lines of intervention to further expand the impact radius of the project. After that, partners agreed on a very precise common schedule for the development of IO3. The Italian partner IDP European Consultants remembered all organisation about the methodology previously agreed so to make sura that all results are coherent and synergetic.
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The ECI Partnership finalised a very detailed cross-reference analysis among the EntreComp Framework, ESCO (the classification of European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupation) and the EQF (European Qualifications Framework); a bond that the literature review – finalised during the development of the National Reports – proved to be highly consistent but still tangibly missing and not fully exploited. The ultimate objective of this desk assessment is to establish an initial and operational connection between the EntreComp framework and the other two, allowing partners to operationalise a new model – the ECI model, ready for publication at the end of July 2021 – for entrepreneurship valorisation and mainstreaming of entrepreneurial spirits across the VET dimension. Each of the 6 competences selected by the partnership has been reconducted to a specific dimension, field and theoretical/operational setting of both ESCO and EQF, highlighting the different compliances by degree of consistency. We evaluated this degree by balancing each ESCO and EQF unit to the main and defining traits of each considered EntreComp competence as described by the same EU Joint Research Centre. The results of this assessment can be found under the "Model" section of this very same website. All partners proceeded to disseminate the results with relevant stakeholders and public authorities in the domain of education, training and entrepreneurship operating in their national domains.
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All ECI partners took part in the second transnational project meeting held at the end of April 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Consortium was not able to meet on-site in Greece as scheduled and decided to conduct the meeting virtually demonstrating great resilience and high commitment to project’s activities and their implementation. During the online meeting Partners discussed about the current project progress and stated that the activities are perfectly aligned to the initial schedule. In particular, partners discussed about the finalisation of the report for stocktaking on the dynamics of entrepreneurial competencies at European level: the report will capture the state of implementation of the EntreComp competence framework for entrepreneurial skills which develop implementation tools and training content for the European VET systems. The meeting also allowed the partners to planning the definition of the training contents that will be developed in the next months of implementation. From there, partners will stocktake important inputs for the design and development of the training courses in terms of contents, needs assessed and overall user-friendliness. The Consortium took a brief moment to celebrate also the great results achieved in terms of Quality Assurance, collaboration and synergies among partners, Dissemination and project visibility.
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The ECI Website is now online on http://www.entre-comp.eu/ providing specific info on project aims, activities and results. The platform will contain all the Project deliverables, outputs and most importantly, the training contents targeted to the operationalization of the “EntreComp Framework” by developing implementation tools and training content for the European VET systems. ECI is managed by 8 Partners from 6 countries, i.e. Germany, Greece, Italy, Belgium, Poland and Romania, and is co-financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission. The Project’s aim is to improve chances for professional success of VET students with different backgrounds by developing entrepreneurial and business management skills. The very user-friendly Platform has been built by the Belgian partner, IHF (Institut de Haute Formation aux Politiques Communautaires asbl) and will be constantly updated by the partnership as a whole during the project implementation. ECI Website is available in six languages (English, German, Greek, Italian, Polish and Romanian) and is composed by multiple sections freely available to all navigators. HOME: the section hosts the “big picture” of the project highlighting the six competences selected and further developed by the Consortium: • Creativity: Develop creative and purposeful ideas • Ethical and sustainable thinking: Assess the impact of ideas, opportunities and actions • Self-awareness and self-efficacy: Believe in yourself and keep developing • Mobilizing others: Inspire, enthuse and get others on board • Taking the initiative: Go for it •Coping with uncertainty & risk: Make decisions dealing with uncertainty, ambiguity and risk PROJECTS: contains several background information about the project – needs and gaps directly addressed by ECI Consortium, envisioned results and expected impacts. PARTNERS: as the tag implies, within the Partners section each organisation is properly valorised. MODEL: this section contains a much broader contextualisation of the project and its main objectives. It serves as a clear, direct and straightforward showcase of the results expected by the project and its background research. TRAINING: after the finalisation phase of Intellectual Output 3 (Training tools and Contents), this section will host the educational means and tools provided by all partners. NEWS: to remain always updated with ECI latest developments… COMMUNITY: in order to involve as many Associated Partners as possible and spread the word about ECI to end-users, targets, general public and ultimate beneficiaries.
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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site and its contents reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Legal description – Creative Commons licensing: The materials published on the EntreComp project website are classified as Open Educational Resources' (OER) and can be freely (without permission of their creators): downloaded, used, reused, copied, adapted, and shared by users, with information about the source of their origin.
