The main innovative aspect of this project is the strong learner-centred approach that explore the need to access the upskilling pathways in entrepreneurial and ICT competencies, at the level of senior artisans. These needs were strongly emphasised by the actual crisis that underlines the importance of ICT skills for seniors that need to stay isolated at home and for artisans that need to move on-line their businesses (based mostly on direct contact with customers in small shops or itinerant fairs and markets).
So the main innovation is based on an unwanted context that all partners though have the ability to exploit, because the educational needs for improving ICT and entrepreneurial competencies particularly at the level of senior artisans with strong handicraft skills but illiterate in entrepreneurship and ICT are not so obvious during ”normal” times.
IO1 contains important elements of innovation it is based on a context human being has never face with before but, unfortunately, is very probably to confront in the not very far future; it includes a research about how senior artisans become more aware on their own educational needs in entrepreneurial and ICT fields, facing with different problems such as the necessity to communicate mostly on-line, to move the selling of their products in on-line environment (because the shops some of them own were closed and the itinerant fairs and markets some of them took part were cancelled) and to discover new ways for making known their arts and crafts not only for commercial purpose but, most important, for promoting important parts of European immaterial heritage that are in a high risk of disappearing.
IO2 is innovative by itself, as there is no other resource of this kind – an educational path aiming to improve entrepreneurial and ICT skills at the level of senior artisans with strong handicraft skills but illiterate in entrepreneurship and ICT (and with a high level of Euroscepticism).
IO3 is also unique, it will be the first digital archive with stories about handicrafts in risk of disappear from all Europe (it will start with the 7 partner countries but in the DEOR and follow up activities we will invite artisans across the whole Europe to join)
The interconnection of all IO-s and their attractive presentation as a ”giftbox” is also an innovative aspect based on the strong ICT focus of the whole project.
Another innovative aspect is the holistic approach of non-formal education aiming to develop ICT and entrepreneurial competencies according to the educational needs of senior artisans, based on David Kolb’s theory of learning through experience. In defining the knowledge, skills and behaviours we will use the European Frameworks EntreComp and DigComp
Not at least, an important element of added value is the “cascade” approach – that involves an increasing number of participants with its advancement. Based on this we will develop a “triple testing” of the training materials developed:
- at international level – on 21 professionals in adults’ education and 21 senior artisans from 7 countries – who will give first step of feedback during the three transnational LTT-s
- at national level for 140 professionals in adults’ education (20 from each partner country) – who will give second step of feedback
- at national level for senior artisans – including 280 persons (40 from each partner country) – who will give third step of feedback.
Not at least, an important element of innovation and added value is the international dimension of the project as the partnership involves 7 organizations covering the whole Europe (from North – Poland – to South – Italy and from West – Portugal to East – Romania) with different backgrounds, expertise and approaches of adult education issues, particularly with senior learners.
So both the intellectual outputs and all the activities of the project will combine the skills of experts – trainers, tutors, researchers, technical staff etc. from all partners’ countries, which means that a wide range of tools will be used. Each partner will bring a proper contribution to all IO-s, so the whole project will have an important added values not only because partners put in common their experience but also because they will interact and create a dynamic structure, a system that is much more valuable than the sum of its individual components. In fact, the exchange of previous experiences, skills and narrative methodologies of each country will lead not only to the creation of unique products but will also allow greater effectiveness at the European level.
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