Good examples
Poland
Voluntary Labour Corps (VLC)
Katarzyna Krzysztofik
www.malopolska.ohp.pl
Voluntary Labour Corps (hereafter VLC) is an organisation that help young people get away
from unemployment and to acquire or upgrade vocational qualifications. The organization
have actions on their own and are also supporting activities performed by other organisations.
One activity that VLC runs are the Mobile Vocational Information Centres (hereafter MCVI).
The MCVI activities are targeting young people between the ages of 15-25 who lives in rural
areas with poor communication network, no access to the national labour market institutions
and poor opportunities to benefit from the system of vocational training and guidance. The
main objective of the activities is to reach communities deprived of access to counselling and
vocational guidance and provide this services to individuals and groups so they can acquire
relevant skills and knowledge to cope with the changing situation and on-going socioeconomic transformation. The MCVI consists of a network of suitably furnished minibuses
and the staff of vocational guidance counselors who works with information sharing,
consulting services, development of individual action plans and the “entrepreneurship”
module. The entrepreneurship module includes an overview of business activities and their
funding, administration and financial services. Each case are tailored to match the needs of
the group or the individual and are using interactive methods such as workshops, exercises,
simulation games, examination of individual interest, analysis of attitudes and aptitude and
meetings with experts.
Vital Village of Mniszki
Participation
www.mniszki.pl
cerip@mniszki.pl
The project Vital Village is a model solution for supporting rural youth. The method use the
cultural heritage resources and the natural assets of the village to create a centre that is a new
entity of education, culture and tourism promoting nature in the rural environment. The centre
also acts as a social function that inspires the community to work on new challenges and
jointly transform the village to a centre and tourism product of regional importance. The
combination of local challenges and regional importance especially attracts younger persons
to work together. The integration of a local community around a common new objective
ensures the continuation and growth of the centre. The local centre promotes a friendly
atmosphere of the local government towards grassroots initiatives and have acquired funds for
implementing an infrastructure project and numerous soft core activities. The centre is also
organizing different types of courses, training activities and prepares interesting vocational
offers for young people.
Sweden
Landsbygd 2.0
http://www.helasverige.se/kansli/projekt/landsbygd-20/om-landsbygd-20/
Participation
A meeting method developed to make youth more participating in the development processes
of the local community. Landsbygd 2.0 consists of one game plan, nine question cards and a
process manager. The participants are divided into groups of six to nine and start to discuss
the questions on the cards and write all the answers the group can find on the game plan. The
questions start with open questions like: what are rural? What is participation? And in the end
the participants are supposed to develop a plan of what they want to do, when they want to do
it, what the steps are and which person who are supposed to do it.
Ungagemang
Innovation, Entrepreneurship
http://www.landsbygdsnatverket.se/huvudomraden/omnatverket/arbetsgrupper/gruppunga/ung
agemang.4.50fac94e137b68090848000764.html
Ungagemang is a meeting arranged by rural youth for rural youth. The meetings are supposed
to be a meeting point where the youth can get tools and inspiration on how to make dreams
and ideas into reality. There are a concept describing different things that the youth can do
during Ungagemang but it’s up to every group who arrange the meeting to decide the different
activities as long as the youth gets inspiration and support on how to realize their ideas.
LUPP
Participation
LUPP is a survey that enables municipalities, urban districts or regions to gather knowledge
on the living situations of young people in their area and information on their experiences and
opinions. The survey is divided into seven different modules: leisure; school; politics, society
and influence; security and vulnerability; health; work; and future. The survey is the basis for
following up and developing a knowledge-based municipal youth policy and helps politicians
and officials to set up measurable targets for municipal activities.
Lithuania
Jonas
Setting up of young farmer:
The setting up of young farmers is a method focusing on entrepreneurship for young farmers.
The method is financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)
and State Budget and the purpose is to create, develop and implement ideas by letting young
farmers participate in different support measures for setting up husbandry farms. The method
is supporting entrepreneurship by helping young persons in rural areas to set up and create
their own business and income from animal husbandry.
Innovation Creation of business exploring wing kites:
http://takayalife.lt/
Innovation
This method is gives financial support to young who wants to set up and create businesses and
incomes from innovative technologies. The young person uses or creates new technologies,
ideas and methods aimed at creating new, or improving existing, processes, technologies,
technical measures, raw materials or products. The granted support have also created the
possibility to organizing youth camps and other actions for youth.
Finland
Sonja
XINNO
www.mamk.fi
Development manager for education and HR Eeva Kuoppala, eeva.kuoppala@mamk.fi
Mamk business liaison Minna Pasila, minna.pasila@mamk.fi
XINNO is an innovative learning environment at Mikkeli university of applied sciences. The
learning environment brings students, teachers, enterprises and other local actors together.
Enterprises can give XINNO ideas that they would like to develop and students form groups
to conquer these tasks. By giving the students the possibility to co-operate with local
enterprises they promote local development and local enterprise development. The cooperation between the students and the local companies also promotes entrepreneurship
among the students and gives them a freedom of choice when it comes to studies. The
learning environment also promotes cross-sectorial group work and new ways of learning
from each other.
Rural parliament of children and youth
http://www.maaseutukuriiri.fi/maaseutuparlamentti
Project manager Marita Mattila, marita.mattila@mamk.fi
Participation
Rural parliament of children and youth is a set of events that bring rural children and youth
together and helps them develop their village/school and the core purpose of the Rural
parliament is youth participation. The parliament consists of two phases, a road show at
schools and a joint rural parliament of children and youth. In the road show events the local
actors present their work and have action points where children can develop their skills and
their village. After the road show the parliament ends in a joint seminar. The Rural parliament
gives children and youth a possibility to meet local actors and their peers from other
schools/villages, they get their voices heard, they get guiding and can give ideas of what they
would like to develop locally. It guides the children and youth to give new ideas for the
development of their school or village. The tangible results of the method are the experiences
of influence and participation for children and youth and the ideas collected from the youth
and local developers.
Innovation and entrepreneurship studies
www.mamk.fi
Development manager for education and HR Eeva Kuoppala, eeva.kuoppala@mamk.fi
Innovation , Entrepreneurship
Innovation and entrepreneurship studies are a voluntary set of studies in Mikkeli University of
applied sciences and Kymenlaakso University of applied science that guide a student
throughout their studies to develop a business when graduating. The studies are divided in two
phases. The first one is partly mandatory, partly optional. After a student has finished the first
phase courses, he/she can move to the second stage and choose the courses he/she wants from
a larger course set. The idea is to choose courses that help the student set up a business during
his/her studies or shortly after graduation. The studies give the student the possibility to gather
entrepreneurial skills, set up an enterprise in an early stage and participate in society as
entrepreneur. Other positive effects of the method is that it help helps the students to become
innovative and entrepreneurial and that it strengthens the co-operation between the two
universities of applied science.
Latvia
Viktorija
Web page for all youth organizations in Latvia
http://www.jaunatneslietas.lv/en/
Participation
The youth policy portal www.jaunatneslietas.lv gathers the most recent information about
youth policy and youth opportunities and is an interactive online support and information
resource to the young third-country nationals in English and Russian. The portal is created in
a youth friendly and comprehensible language with an opportunity to learn Latvian lexicon by
using English-Latvian and Russian-Latvian dictionary of phrases available in the portal in 13
thematic directions. The portal are used by young people, youth employees and other
interested people who creates profiles, find friends and cooperation partners for projects or
other activities. In the portal there is a special section called “Youth & the World” for young
third-country nationals where the most important information about Latvia are gathered.
There are also previously created methodological and informative materials available that can
be useful for young people and for support personnel who daily work or encounter young
third-country nationals.
Promotion of Youth entrepreneurship in rural areas
http://www.llkc.lv/en
Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre
http://www.llkc.lv/en
http://laukutikls.lv/
Participation, Entrepreneurship
The goals of this programme is better educated, more active and more enterprising young
people in rural areas who are willing to participate in social life and develop their ideas and
entrepreneurship. The carrot for the young people is the competition in the end of the
programme.
The programme starts with an information day where the programme is presented and people
who have started their own businesses give inspirational and motivational talks about how it
is to have your own business. The second phase of the programme is a five day training on
how to start a business. The training is followed by individual consultations where the
participants in the programme get advice on their business idea and business plan. The
programme ends with a competition where the winners get a cash money prize that can be
used to business development.
The programme has given the young entrepreneurs motivation, presentation skill, business
skills, an understanding about their business plan and if it is profitable, confidence in their
skills, a network and a cash money prize.
Estonia
Reve
Innove foundation – “Aju jaht” (“Brain hunting”)
“Aju jaht” is a competition for finding the best business idea. The contest was first held in
2008 and this year they received 300 ideas.
The contest is divided into different steps were the first step is a training program were the
participants learn how to describe and present their business idea. From all the ideas entered
into the competition 100 will be chosen to the next step were the participants presents their
business idea to the jury. The best 25 ideas are chosen by the jury and are off to the next step
of the competition, the development program that runs for four month from December to
March. After the development program ten participants are selected for the semi-final and of
them six participants are selected for the final. The six finalists are presented in a TV show
and the winner will be announced in live broadcast. The award fund is 50 000 euros and the
winner is the participant with the best idea.
Dreams alive
“Dreams alive” is a network of enterprises who contribute to the promotion of an
entrepreneurial mindset. The network has a good cooperation with the county development
centers and the activities during 2014 include organizing seminars and study trips as well as
developing the web-page and the network of enterprises.
Entrum:
http://www.entrum.ee/en/
An international award-winning method that started in Estonia in 2010/2011 – The
competition travels around the country and was 2010/2011 in East-Estonia, 2011-2012 in
South-Estonia, 2012-2013 in West-Estonia, 2013-2014 in North-Estonia and 2014-2015 again
in East-Estonia
The contest is organised all over the area and mostly the participants has been from rural areas
or small towns. The participants are young people between 13-19 years and the ENTRUM 4steps methodology makes the teenagers create an enterprising mindset as well as educates
them and gives them the necessary skills and experiences during a short time period. The
steps of the ENTRUM methodology are
1.
2.
3.
4.
Bring youngster outside the box and inspire them with help of role models.
Youngsters are motivated now! Start teaching practical skills.
Teach network and shape youngsters’ life-style and values.
Show new horizons and be ready to support new initiatives.
The timetable of the methodology starts in October with an opening show on the theme
“Define your creative passion and start boldly!” Here the youngsters takes part of inspiration,
encouragement by entrepreneurial leaders, out of the box thinking exercises, skills & interests
self-assessment and identification of creative passion. In November they have a one-day
session called “Define your idea!” here the teenagers gets to take part in inspirational and
networking activities, team-building, identification of business idea model, business planning,
introduction of Estonia’s entrepreneurship support system, business ideas pitching and faceto-face facilitating with mentor. After this a jury will choose who will continue to the
incubation sessions. In December, January and February three sessions will be held that
includes inspirational and networking activities, business idea model and financial planning,
budgeting and accounting, product or service costing and pricing, obtaining start-up capital,
sales pitch exercises, inspirational activities, marketing and communication planning and
implementation, business ethics and socially responsible entrepreneurship, growing business,
introduction of national entrepreneurship development ecosystem opportunities and face-toface facilitating with mentor. In March the superfinals will be held were the teenagers pitch
their business idea results and in May is the ENTRUM Grand Award Gala were the best
business ideas are rewarded.
Russia
Olga
Mobile teams
The main objective of "Mobile teams" is to increase the knowledge of country people about
the existing directions of the state support for agrarian and industrial complex. The mobile
teams consist of activists from the Russian union of rural youth, graduate students, students of
the agrarian higher education institutions, beginning farmers, representatives from agrarian
governing bodies and industrial complex of appropriate subjects. The mobile teams hold
meetings all over Russia and gives advice on the support for agrarians and industrial
complexes.
The beginning farmer
Is a competition for students from agrarian higher education institutes in Russia. The purpose
of the competition is to develop the students’ skills in business planning, management,
economy, to collect and analyzing of information, administrative decisions and the ability to
work in teams. For the competition the students form teams and prepare a business plan based
on regional criteria. The students then present their business plans for a jury consisting of
teachers and representatives from the local government. The students with the best regional
business plan goes to Moscow to present their business plan on a federal stage. The winners
receive a recommendation from the Ministry of agriculture and with the recommendation they
have bigger chances to receive a grant.