Training —
21ST and Entrepreneurial Skills

When exploring and doing our desk research for training, we came across many valuable studies and researches. The recommendations on what these skills are, show a lot of the same outcome and some accent differences.  

Also we found out that there is a huge overlap in what is stated to be important in order to be successfully self-employed and what is desired in order to be a successful employee. So we decided to combine them in the workshops. It might be that people start considering becoming self-employed once they have learned more about what skills are important in that context. 

These are the skills we withheld after our desk research, knowing that this is limitative list, and others could have been added. 

We clustered the skills is 4 groups. Each of these entail 4 or 5 competencies/ skills. 

— Aim of the Workshops

With the courses developed in this project and its materials, we hope to contribute to close the competence gap a little and our overall goal is to make sure more vulnerable (future) jobseekers become employable in the current AND future labour market. 

—What`s in it for the Participants?

After jobseekers follow the courses,  

• they have a good understanding of their key competencies 

• they know what key competencies they need to improve in order to increase their chances to secure a job 

• their learning outcomes (competencies) will be validated through open badges. This strengthens self-confidence because their competencies are made visible, it creates efficient learning paths and is recognisable for stakeholders (funders - governments - business partners) 

Secondary goal: Raise the amount of people that consider becoming self-employed  

Service providers will: 

• be aware of the importance of 21st century competencies and entrepreneurial skills rather than diploma’s 

• will know how to discover the competencies of their clients/students 

• will know how and when these competencies can be issued through Open Badges 

—Who can be participant?

Everybody who feels the need to learn more about the competencies tackled in the workshops, that want to learn more on what behaviour you can see when a person owns a certain competency and to what extend it is part of his/her core behaviour.  

We focus however on 2 main target groups: 

• (Future) jobseekers 

• Service providers of the above mentioned

— Principles and expected attitude for giving the training/workshops

Before diving into depth with the content of the workshops, we also provide a framework for action, a way in which the workshops should be given. In each workshop unexpected situations will arise, questions can be asked that you did not foresee or that have not yet been described. By starting from the given framework, each teacher not only receives content, but also a compass about how this best happens. We assume that the goal we want to achieve through the workshops will best be achieved if we use the following principles, values, mindset and approach. 

—Core Principles

Client at the centre:  

An important starting point is that the participant knows himself best and can therefore determine the direction and interpretation of his life and know what to do, think and not do. In the workshop, this certainly also translates into the choice that one can make after the baseline (see below) for which additional workshops one may or may not still choose.

Zero exclusion 

As a principle, all people are welcome to the workshops. We do talk to people in advance and if a group session is not a good learning moment for the person, then we can decide otherwise for that person. It depends on the needs and desires of the person in front of you, it is not based on pre-set objective criteria (like e.g. age, sex, diploma etc.)

Nothing about us without us  

We talk with participants not about them. They will always be involved in next steps and they make the decisions. If for some reason, a decision has to be made by the trainer, the person will always be informed about the reason for it.  

The badgecraft platform (cf. infra – the platform we use to issue competence badges) is also built this way.  

Place then train: a person can preferably train the skills in a workplace setting. During the  workshops, there is not the time to exercise the competencies, but once a person knows what behaviour it asks, they can start working on them both in the private context and in a work setting.  

—Values

Why do we work value based? Values ​​are benchmarks. Values ​​help define the way you work. Values ​​are no goals. Goals can be achieved, values ​​cannot. You can compare values ​​with an ethical/moral compass. Values ​​indicate why and how you do things. Values ​​make it much easier to make decisions and choices. 

By prominently highlighting a few values, we indicate how we wish the workshops to be given. In this way we can ensure that no matter who gives the workshop, it has a large common denominator thanks to the way in which it is given. After all, a value can be translated into behaviour, in a way in which the process is guided during the workshop. Not only the content is important, but just as valuable is the form of how this is done. 

The values ​​below are closely related to the principles we briefly mentioned above. It is important that all participants know that we start from these values: 

—Mindset

The course implicitly encourages/ tries to enable the growth mindset of people, as first stated by Carol Dweck. Here you find a summary of her work, more can be found in her books, and on the Internet.  

The great thing about Dweck's mindset theory is that it has a simple and understandable premise: the world can be divided into people who are open to learning and people who are not open to it, and that this characteristic influences everything. According to her, this characteristic really determines everything: from worldview to interpersonal relationships. Carol Dweck then explains why it is not just our skills and talents that drive success, but whether we approach our goals with a fixed or a growth mindset. 

 According to the agile mindset idea, where we always take openness, transparency and learning opportunities as starting points. Focused on changing attitudes and behaviour, Dweck provides insight into the question: is everyone capable of that? 

It is about a personal belief in 'disposition'. You always view your learning opportunities from a personal mindset. 

We use many beautiful and different words for this, such as competence, aptitude, abilities, ability, talent, skills, abilities, possibilities, etc. Often all these words are summarized in the word: intelligence. But if we try to summarize all these words and ask you the following question: Is intelligence innate or not? 

—Approach  

Within the workshops we work with a strength-oriented approach.

This way of working is based on principles, values ​​and mindset as described above and is based on a number of focus elements:  

• the desired situation (instead of the problem),  

• on successes already achieved (and not on mistakes and failures),  

• on competences and possibilities (instead of weaknesses and limitations),  

• on successes (and not on analyses of the problem),  

• on step by step (and not on the big jump).  

Often people are strongly focused on problems and defects. They think that by knowing a lot about the problem, the defect, the cause and the culprit, the solution comes into view. The idea is that a solution will never arise without a thorough analysis.  Within the strength-oriented approach we do not dive into the problems but into the successes. We examine what helps and has already helped to move forward. We work success-oriented and look for causes of success.  

"Strength-oriented working is a powerful, positive method to bring about changes in people, teams and organizations. It is a proven method that works! " 

 — Assumptions  

It's about what happens between people and less about what you have and who or what you are. Strength-oriented working therefore focuses on behaviour.  

 The conversational attitude of the strength-oriented trainer is characterized by cooperative exploration. This means that the supervisor is looking together with the other person. The rationale is that no one knows better. A strength-oriented trainer certainly does not have the last word about what people need to improve in their lives. A strength-oriented worker listens attentively, summarizes regularly, and directs the conversation with strength-oriented questions. He broadens the perspective and exposes options and possibilities. He also gives advice and tips if necessary, but also immediately abandons them if it turns out that they do not fall on fertile ground. An advice is presented, not imposed.  

 Another important aspect of attitude is giving compliments and appreciation. The strength-oriented trainer tries to empathize with the other person's situation without prejudice, is genuinely curious and clearly expresses his understanding. Compliments give strength and recognition. A well-placed and heartfelt compliment gives us confirmation of effective and strong behaviour. We can give compliments directly by expressing sincere positive appreciation: 'Wow, great that you did that!' Another, perhaps more effective way is to give an indirect compliment by asking the other person to compliment themselves: ' How did you handle that?'  

Roughly speaking, strength-oriented working can be divided into six steps  

 Within our Entr21 workshops, the strength-oriented method can be recognised by the attitude and approach of the trainers as well as in the structure of the workshops. There will always be room for icebreakers and strengthening group dynamics at the start of the workshop. 

The expectations of the participants are questioned and participants are given the opportunity to reflect on their own strengths and needs. It is clearly formulated what the workshop will be about and on the basis of experiential exercises, participants are encouraged to reflect on qualities, talents, competencies and situations in which they could use these in the past (and also in the future). 

Workshops are rounded off with an individual action point that they can put to work. A moment of individual and group evaluation is universal for every workshop and recognizable for the participants. Progress is visualized in this way, perpetuated by a system of Open Badges to convert this progress.

Training

Clients — Staff &Trainers