About Erasmus+ Project Interception

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Erasmus+ project Interception is about strengthening social inclusion through inclusive entrepreneurship. Social excluded youth is under-represented or disadvantaged in entrepreneurship. Increasing entrepreneurship among them, as well as improving the quality of their business start-ups, represents an opportunity to increase their social inclusion as well as participating in the labour market and boost economic growth. Social excluded youth typically face greater barriers to business creation than the mainstream population. Challenges include a lack of entrepreneurship skills, difficulty in accessing finance for business start-up, difficulties navigating the regulatory framework, a fear of failure and a lack of confidence.

Meeting High school students in the entrepreneurship class, presenting their project.
Meeting High school students in the entrepreneurship class, presenting their project

Inclusive entrepreneurship is important for achieving inclusive growth. Business creation by under-represented and disadvantaged groups as social excluded youth helps create jobs and fight social and financial exclusion while stimulating economic growth. While entrepreneurship plays an important role in stimulating innovation and driving job creation, only a relatively small part of the youth is involved in starting a business, and not all of them have the same opportunities to create and run a business. The objective of inclusive entrepreneurship is to ensure that all young people have an opportunity to start up and operate in business or self-employment, regardless of their personal characteristics and background.

Project Interception gives social excluded youth opportunity to be a successful entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship offers an opportunity for social-excluded youth to be more active members of society and building their local community. While not everybody who receives entrepreneurship training or support will start a business, individual young people participating in entrepreneurship training programs, interacting with a coach or mentor, will acquire skills and experience that make them more employable.

Project Interception addresses social-excluded youth, especially those that have high potential to become NEET (not in employment, education or training) or those that are already NEET. Based on Eurostat info in the year 2017 there were almost 17 million young people aged 20–34 who were neither in employment nor in education and training.

The project team at the Municipality Ptuj Townhouse
The project team at the Municipality Ptuj Townhouse

Name of the project Interception is chosen because by the Cambridge dictionary the meaning is “the action of stopping and catching something or someone before that thing or person is able to reach a particular place”. With the project, we want to stop youth to reach a point of social exclusion. At the same time, the word “Interception” contains two words “Inception” and “ter”. The basis of this project were the project trainings Inception. Meaning of the word “ter“ means “three”. Three symbolically stands for 3 EU countries involved in the project (Slovenia, Lithuania, UK) and 3 non-EU countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia) as well as the connection of 3 continents – Europe, Asia and Australia.

The applicant organisation is Klub podjetniškega gibanja EMC from Slovenia, other project partners are Emporoh PLT from Malaysia, Politikos Tyrimu ir analizes instiutas from Lithuania, Media Sapiens Network from the United Kingdom, Slovenian-Australian Academic Asociation Incorporated from Australia and Yayasan Act Global from Indonesia.

Aims of the project:

  1. Preventing young people from becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training).
  2. Develop innovative methodologies and tools to support youth workers and educators to prevent youngsters from being NEET.
  3. Ensuring specific skills that improve the chances of their entrepreneurship path.
  4. Provide skills training and support to transition from being potential NEET youngster to a youngster knowing basic of entrepreneurial concepts.
  5. Build a bridge between formal and non-formal education.

Objectives of the project:

  1. Understand the risk factors of young people becoming NEET.
  2. Identify young people at risk of becoming NEET.
  3. Address the NEET phenomenon using a preventative approach.
  4. Make research on indicators what pull youngsters to become NEET.
  5. Identify good case practices how partners prevent youngsters to become NEET.
  6. Set of the tools and methods on how to prevent youngsters to become NEET.
  7. Build the capacity of teachers and educators use non-formal education tools in their daily professional life.

SAAA contribution to Erasmus + Project Interception

The initial project meeting in Ptuj, Slovenia (February 2020)

After the initial meeting in Ptuj, Slovenia in February 2020, the Slovenian Australian Academic Association’s (SAAA) next contribution to the project will be primary research of entrepreneurial factors of migrant Australians and Slovenian diaspora in Australia. Interviews will be conducted with migrants (including second-generation diaspora) that established their businesses in Australia. SAAA will be using its own extensive network and directly contacting the entrepreneurs to conduct anonymous interviews. The research will be focusing on background, motivation and challenges factors that contribute to successful start and continuation of the business. The findings will help to better understand the drive towards entrepreneurship as well as overcoming the difficulties in starting and running the business. This will contribute to shaping guidelines for future migrants in NEET (not in employment, education, or training) positions in Australia and beyond, and lastly encourage entrepreneurship.

The second meeting in Melbourne, Australia (date TBA)

The findings of the research will be presented at the second meeting of the Erasmus + Project Interception in Melbourne, Australia.

COVID-19 UPDATE: As per the current situation, the dates will be rescheduled once certainty is established around international travel.