“BE THE CHANGE”BOOSTING ENTREPRENEURISHIP THROUGH INTERGENERATIONAL EXCHANGE

ERASMUS PLUS PROGRAMME KA2-ADULT EDUCATION

Agreement n. 2016-1-IT02-KA204-024326

GUIDELINES FOR PROMOTING RECOGNITION AND VALIDATION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL

COMPETENCES AMONG “NEETS” IN EUROPE ACQUIRED THROUGH NON-FORMAL

INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING

By the “Be The Change” Consortium1

December 2018

1 The “Be The Change” partner organizations and persons involved were: 1) National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing – IRCCS INRCA (Coordinator; Italy), Sara Santini, Marco Socci, Giovanni Lamura; 2) Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy), Barbara Baschiera, Fiorino Tessaro; 3) Magyar Noi Karrierfejlesztesi Szovetseg - MNKSZ (Association for Women's Career Development; Hungary), Andrea Ferenczi, Katalin Hajós, Modláné Görgényi Ildikó, Pàl Zuti; 4) Arbeiterwohlfahrt Berlin Spree-Wuhle e.V. – AWO (Germany), Elisabetta Abbondanza, Benjamin Eberle; 5) UPI - Ljudska univerza Žalec – UPI Žalec (Slovenia), Biserka Neuholt Hlastec, Franja Centrih, Marjana Rogel Peršič; 6) University of Malta (Malta), Colin Calleja, Russell Smith, Elena Tanti Burló.

1

the “Be The Change” ConsortiumCOORDINATOR AND TEAM MEMBERS:

National Institute of Health & Science on Ageing - IRCCS INRCA, ITALY: Sara Santini, Marco Socci, Giovanni Lamura

PARTNERS AND TEAM MEMBERS:

Magyar Noi Karrierfejlesztesi Szovetseg – MNKSZ (Association for Women’s Career Development in Hungary, HUNGARY: Andrea Ferenczi, Katalin Hajós, Modláné Görgényi Ildikó, Pàl Zuti

Arbeiterwohlfahrt Berlin Spree-Wuhle e.V. – AWO, GERMANY: Benjamin Eberle, Elisabetta Abbondanza

Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, ITALY: Barbara Baschiera, Fiorino Tessaro

University of Malta, MALTA: Colin Calleja, Russell Smith, Elena Tanti Burlò

UPI Ljudska univerza Žalec, SLOVENIA: Biserka Neuholt Hlastec, Franja Centrih Marjana Rogel Peršič

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................4

CHAPTER 1 – RECOGNITION AND VALIDATION OF NON-FORMAL COMPETENCES: EUROPEAN RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................................................................................5

1.1 What is non-formal learning................................................................................................................5

1.2 Validation principles and process of non-formal competences in Europe.............................................6

CHAPTER 2 – PURPOSE AND PRINCIPLES OF THE “BE THE CHANGE” GUIDELINES......................................7

CHAPTER 3 – THE PHASES OF VALIDATION APPLIED TO THE “BE THE CHANGE” PROJECT..........................9

CHAPTER 4 – METHODOLOGIES FOR THE RECOGNITION AND VALIDATION AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE ASSESSMENT IN EACH COUNTRY...........................................................................................................11

4.1 Description of methods, sheets and questionnaires/matrixes for the assessment at country level.....11

4.1.1 Mentors: training contents and evaluation sheet...........................................................................13

4.1.2 Mentees: training contents and evaluation tools...........................................................................15

4.2 Lessons learned.................................................................................................................................24

BIBLIOGRAPHY...............................................................................................................................................28

APPENDIX.......................................................................................................................................................30

ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR MENTORS. Wave 1 - Before the training start....................................................30

ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR MENTORS. Wave 2 - After the training..............................................................34

TRAINING SATISFACTION QUESTIONNAIRE.............................................................................................39

QUESTIONS ASKED TO MENTORS IN MALTA............................................................................................40

ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR MENTEES. Wave 1 - Before the training start.....................................................41

ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR MENTEES. Wave 2 - After the training...............................................................49

INTEGRATIONS on formal and non-formal education to entrepreneurship and process for competences validation at national level available here

3

INTRODUCTIONThese Guidelines represent one of the main results of the two years (1 November 2017-31 October 2018) European project ‘Boosting Entrepreneurship through Intergenerational Exchange’ (“Be the Change”; https://bethechange-project.eu/) co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The project involved six organizations from five European countries: IRCCS INRCA (coordinator) and Ca’ Foscari University (Italy); AWO (Germany); MNKSZ (Hungary); University of Malta (Malta); UPI-Žalec (Slovenia).

It aimed at developing a methodology to promote entrepreneurship competences and skills among young people (aged 18-29) “Not in Education, Employment and Training” (NEETs) through the support of experienced seniors and the exchange between generations, according to the intergenerational learning paradigm. Although the meaning of NEETs can differ among European countries, all definitions of NEETs agree in identifying a heterogenic category particularly at risk for social exclusion from mainstream adult life.

The project took place in difficult social and economic times. The “EU Youth Report” (European Commission, 2012) and the Survey of Adult Skills (OECD, 2013) showed that NEETs are the social group most exposed at reductions of key skills that are important in allowing adults to fully participate in the labour market and in social and civic life (Alfieri et al., 2015; Baschiera, Santini & Socci, 2018; Di Francesco, 2013).

Due to these problems, the project promoted an intergenerational education approach as an effective method for covering the mismatch between provided formal education and competences required in the labour market. In line with the European definition, the competence “Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship” (the ability to turn ideas into action through creativity, innovation and risk taking as well as ability to plan and manage projects) was analysed into its five components to better define the profile of entrepreneurs who would have participated in the “Be The Change” project as mentors: TECHNICAL SKILLS, INNOVATION SKILLS, PERSONAL SKILLS, RELATIONAL SKILLS and AUTONOMY.

TECHNICAL SKILLS are characterized by the ability to: a) set challenging goals; b) produce new and unusual ideas; c) implement and modify a project, planning skills (transforming an idea into a project analyzing its feasibility and obstacles) and d) identify and acquire resources of any kind (human, financial, etc).

INNOVATION SKILLS are identified by the ability to take new paths and to develop new methods, the ability to re-define and think out of the box, the ability to read the complexity of reality, to know how to grasp opportunities, to recognize potential, to transform barriers into opportunities, the ability to transfer one’s own expectations to other contexts and the ability to generate alternatives and opportunities.

The ability to deliver one’s goals through personal effort, the ability to transform obstacles into resources, the ability to recognize and value one’s own talents, the capacity of having a positive vision of the future and the ability to recognize one’s own limitations distinguish PERSONAL SKILLS.

RELATIONAL SKILLS can be described as the ability to motivate others, the ability to build a team, the ability to delegate, the ability to lead the vision of the enterprise and the ability to identify roles and tasks on the basis of individuals’ characteristics.

AUTONOMY is characterized by the ability to identify pro-positives elements (for improvement), the ability to remain on task until its completion, the ability to choose and decide for oneself, the ability to face uncertainty and manage the risk involved and the ability to pursue one’s goals over time, without giving up.

4

Experienced older entrepreneurs and seniors 50+ having entrepreneurial competences have been selected to be mentors of young people NEETs and to give their mentees the confidence, intellectual resources and entrepreneurial skills, to face the problems they could encounter through professional life, creating new spaces for autonomy and responsibility.

Today, in a complex and fast-changing world, it is necessary for individuals to acquire and adapt competences through all forms of learning to cope with various challenges. However, qualifications systems in many countries still emphasise formal learning in educational institutions. In this way, a large number of learning experiences remain unrecognised, and many individuals lose their motivation to continue learning.

According to the European perspective, the “Be The Change” partnership acknowledged learning in non-formal education as a way for providing new lifelong learning opportunities.

To that extent this project sought to define concrete tools for developing the taxonomy of entrepreneurial skills, enabling the recognition and validation of entrepreneurial skills and competences gained through non-formal intergenerational learning experiences, as well as to promote lifelong learning pathways that facilitate the job transition.

These Guidelines aim at defining or improving procedures to recognise the outcomes of non-formal learning and at harmonising the social recognition of entrepreneurial competences of NEETs among European countries, so that they would accomplish the same value which the formal competences is often given without questioning. In addition to the Guidelines the “Be The Change” consortium delivered an “Handbook” for the replication of the methodology developed by the project, that condenses the contents of the Guidelines and gives practical tools (i.e. training materials, questionnaires, sheets for recognition and validation of the competences) for experts of adult education. The Handbook is available at the section “Documents” of the project website (https://bethechange-project.eu/documents/.

CHAPTER 1 – RECOGNITION AND VALIDATION OF NON-FORMAL COMPETENCES: EUROPEAN RECOMMENDATIONS In this chapter the definition of non-formal learning is provided in order to identify the characteristics of the “Be The Change” method accomplishing with it. Validation principles and the processes available for the recognition of the competences acquired in non-formal learning setting.

1.1 What is non-formal learning Lifelong learning goes beyond formal education and training recognized by relevant national authorities (formal learning), because we can encounter learning opportunities every day.

Beyond the formal classroom setting, we can acquire useful and valuable knowledge, skills and competences in our daily lives, at work, at home or during leisure time, through participation in civil society organizations or in the virtual space provided by the internet and mobile devices, individually or with peers, in non-formal and informal contexts (non-formal learning).

According to the Cedefop definition, learning can result “from daily activities related to work, family or leisure. It is not organized or structured in terms of objectives, time or learning support. Informal learning is in most cases unintentional from the learner’s perspective” (informal learning) (Cedefop, 2014, pag. 111).

5

Empowering all learners with learning experiences is essential in order to cope with rapid economic and technological changes, more frequent job transitions. To increase employability, productivity and economic growth is necessary to sustain individuals to acquire higher and more relevant skills. In today’s situation of labour market problems, high youth unemployment (especially in some countries) and lack of economic growth, making use of new learning experiences outside the formal system is urgent to reach personal development and to extend one’s own potential.

To avoid a huge under-utilisation of human talents and resources in our societies, the learning outcomes that young people and adults acquire in the course of their life need to be made visible, assessed and accredited.

For these reasons the “Be the Change” project took into consideration learning that takes place outside the formal education system and is therefore not recognized. Non-formal learning in some cases is also structured according to educational and training arrangements, but more flexible. It usually takes place in community-based settings, the workplace and through the activities of civil society organisations. Through the recognition, validation and accreditation process, non-formal learning can also lead to qualifications and other recognitions. Non-formal education and learning has an important role to play in responding to youth unemployment. This is because it supports development by helping to transform young people’s potential, creativity, talents, initiative and social responsibility, through the acquisition of related knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. Non-formal learning can be intentional from the learner’s perspective.

According to the above, measures which contain an element of assessment or are awarded with a certificate that does not represent a qualification of the education system are also forms of non-formal learning. These include, for example, the European Computer Driving Licence, language certificates, certificates of adult education centres.Promoting an equal value of competences obtained through non-formal learning can ensure equity and inclusiveness in access to any form of learning suited to each individual’s needs, and can guarantee observable and valued learning outcomes.

1.2 Validation principles and process of non-formal competences in EuropeRecognition and validation of all forms of learning outcomes is a practice that makes observable and valuable all learning outcomes (including knowledge, skills and competences) that individuals have obtained in various contexts, and through various means in different phases of their lives against clearly defined and quality-assured standards.

• Recognition is a process of granting official status to learning outcomes and/or competences, which can lead to the acknowledgement of their value in society.

• Validation is the confirmation by an officially approved body that learning outcomes or competences acquired by an individual have been assessed against reference points or standards through pre-defined assessment methodologies.

Various laws recommendations have been enacted in order to recognize the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning in Europe, such as the Guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning, published by Cedefop in 2015.

6

Recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning entails comparison of the learning and experience of a learner, howsoever obtained, against the learning outcomes required for a specified qualification, and the acceptance for purposes of qualification of that which meets the requirements. Measurement of learning takes place on the basis of specific learning outcomes for a specific qualification and may lead to the achievement of credits towards that qualification.

As highlighted in the European Guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning, educational interventions that take place outside formal education and training institutions are not standardised and predictable. The outcomes of these learning processes are diverse and multidimensional. The methods and instruments used to identify, assess and attribute recognition need to be open to the character of non-formally and informally acquired learning outcomes (Cedefop, 2014; 2015). The Guidelines acknowledge that any solution must be fit for purpose and that arrangements need to be designed according to the specific context in which they operate.

It is helpful to highlight the European Council’s Common European Principles for the identification and validation of non-formal and informal learning (Cedefop, 2015):

• Ensuring equity and inclusiveness in access to learning opportunities. Everybody should have the right to get access to any form of learning aimed at satisfying his/her educational needs, and have his/her learning outcomes made visible and valued.

• Promoting the equal value of learning outcomes of formal, non-formal and informal learning.

• Ensuring the centrality of learners in the recognition and validation process.

• Improving flexibility and openness of formal education and training. Education and training systems should consider diverse forms of learning, taking into account learners’ needs and experiences.

• Promoting quality assurance in the entire process through the use of relevant, reliable, fair and transparent criteria and procedures.

• Strengthening partnerships among all stakeholders to share responsibility from design through to implementation and evaluation of the practices that make visible and value non-formal learning.

It is possible to deepen the knowledge about the different systems of education to the entrepreneurships and the systems for the recognition and validation of the competences acquired in non-formal education in Germany, Hungary, Italy and Slovenia (four out of the five countries partners of the “Be The Change” consortium) by visiting this link https://bethechange-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Integration-to-the-Guidelines.pdf.

CHAPTER 2 – PURPOSE AND PRINCIPLES OF THE “BE THE CHANGE” GUIDELINES The first purpose of the “Be The Change” Guidelines is to provide to the experts in the fields of education, active ageing and labour market, a practical tool for fully understanding the “Be The Change” methodology and adopting it in local contexts. In this perspective, the Guidelines aim at giving practical instructions on how to apply the principles of the recognition and validation of the competences acquired in non-formal educational settings to the issue of entrepreneurship and according with a specific learning methodology based on the intergenerational learning paradigm (Hatton-Yeo, 2009). The main novelty of the “Be The

7

Change” methodology is indeed, the training of older adult entrepreneurs and seniors with entrepreneurial competences for developing mentoring competences, the successive mentoring of the youngsters (NEETs) and the fact that the latter were observed and evaluated by their mentors. The second purpose of the Guidelines is, therefore, to highlight the effectiveness of the intergenerational approach for recognising the value of older and younger people and to give practical suggestions for transferring this methodology to different contexts. The exchange of knowledge and competences among generations is indeed a valuable means for renewing the capability of generating new ideas and new enterprises in Europe.

The main principle of the “Be The Change” project was that we will become a more inclusive and smarter society if we’ll be able to invest in creating solid links between generations. A society where generations work together to acquire skills, to improve their competences, to exchange their knowledge, to co-construct inclusiveness, is able to value the potential and talents of all its citizens, regardless of age.

Although intergenerational learning is an integral component of lifelong learning, its potential is not used to afford the most urgent challenges Europe is facing. Policy makers have recognised youth unemployment and the issues of an ageing society as priority challenges, but without a long-term strategic approach to intergenerational learning that promotes social solidarity and active ageing (WHO, 2002; Walker & Maltby, 2012).

Ageing population and youth’s low activity rates developed trends that require some extensive societal adaptations regarding work, family life and social protection. Plus, there is a huge potential to transmit and to learn from each other; it is necessary to nurture this knowledge, to keep the sense of continuity among generations and to develop a sense of community for enhancing education, connecting communities, changing lives.

The “Be The Change” project considered intergenerational mentoring as a form of non-formal learning based on intergenerational open dialogue and exchange.Experienced seniors (entrepreneurs or having entrepreneurial skills), as mentors, can transmit to the youngsters entrepreneurial skills/competences able to support mentees in recognizing their value and to enter the labour market. They can demonstrate to mentees that the necessary skills to becoming a successful entrepreneur can be learned and they can share the “secrets” of the startup process. The entrepreneurial mentor can thus become a role model. Hearing how a business was created directly from its founder can offer young people a greater level of inspiration. Older adult mentors can play an important role in providing missing or tacit information about entrepreneurship as a career choice. They can share lessons from their experience in the hope that mentees can learn them quickly and easily, improving their lives. They also possess an intuition that has been honed over the course of many years, that can help mentees confirm, abandon, or shape some of their own business instincts. Their wisdom and know-how can support the professional development of the

mentees, and provide meaningful opportunities for growth. They can also provide behavioral information because they are in a unique position to acknowledge the challenges and other difficulties associated with entrepreneurship. They can discuss about the personal characteristics and behaviors necessary to afford

these challenges. Older adult mentors may help their mentees to understand their value and that a failed venture is not the end of a career, but rather an important part of their entrepreneurial training. Mentors may help mentees to evaluate ideas, either by giving them direct feedback or by suggesting courses of action or people to talk with. They can discourage low quality business ideas and convince their mentees not to pursue them or fill in their mentees’ lack of social connections to resources necessary for entrepreneurship. By creating a relation of mutual trust and by providing support, the older adults who

8

serve as mentors are considered to benefit from this opportunity to become resources of experience and meaningful contributors to the lives of others in need. On one hand, through the training for becoming a mentor/refining knowledge and tools for being a mentors, seniors can enhance their capabilities of capitalization of their know-how and can acquire new knowledge. On the other hand, through the relationship with the youngsters and thank to their progress, they can receive a confirmation of their value and usefulness for the community.

CHAPTER 3 – THE PHASES OF VALIDATION APPLIED TO THE “BE THE CHANGE” PROJECTFeedback from UNESCO member States (UIL, 2012) in this area demonstrates that countries across the world employ a range of different measures to validate and certify non-formal learning. In general, the process can be divided into four stages:

(1) Identification of knowledge, skills and competences acquired.

Through identification the learner becomes increasingly aware of prior achievements.

Identifying this non-standardised character of non-formal learning was a significant methodological challenge for the “Be The Change” partners. This stage required active involvement of the mentors who were able to enter into a dialogue with their mentees and direct them to appropriate options and tools.

Together they were able to identify and value the particular combination of entrepreneurial competences acquired through intergenerational mentoring. Using interviews and dialogue-based approaches had a great value to the mentees. For many of them, discovery and increased awareness of own capabilities represented a valuable outcome of the process.

(2) Learner’s production of evidence of learning outcomes (documentation).

The country project partners focused on different targets of NEETs to involve in the mentoring pathway developed during the pilot testing phase of the project2 (which has not been carried out in Hungary, since the Hungarian project partner, according to the Application, focused on dissemination activities):

Slovenia: early leavers from school looking for work Germany: young people seeking employment, including refugees/asylum seekers Italy: university graduates, including PhDs, not yet in employment who may be interested

in starting a business Malta: young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including people who may be

interested in starting a business.

According to the heterogeneous target group of NEETs involved in the project, the provision of evidence of the learning outcomes acquired by the mentees, required the use of different tools ranging from written documents to demonstrations of practice.

The portability of evidence was crucial and required some degree of coordination inside the partnership.

2 More information on the training testing phase (e.g. training courses/materials and results) are available at the project website, section “Courses” (https://bethechange-project.eu/courses/) and in the “Handbook”, available at the section “Documents” of the project website (https://bethechange-project.eu/documents/).

9

The criteria and formats for documenting non-formal and informal learning are described in paragraph 4.1.

(3) Assessment of learning outcomes.

To validate non-formal intergenerational learning experiences through the “Be the Change” project, the partnership had to design arrangements according to the particular context in which the partners were operating.

So the consortium designed two programs aimed at developing different entrepreneurial skills in non-formal contexts: the first called “Personal Foundation” targeted mainly the youngsters low educated and at risk of social disengagement. The second called “Self-Employment and Business Foundation” targeted mainly youngsters with disadvantaged background3.

The partnership agreed that the use of scholastic strategies with older adult entrepreneurs and NEETs would be neither effective nor efficient. To help the first group of mentees recognizing their personal value, their competences and identifying what they could offer to the labour market and to foster the second one to acquire the competences for finding self-employment solutions and running a business, the mentors offered innovative tailored strategies, such as simulations, case study analysis, dialogue or conversational methods, observations, narrative tools like story-telling, self-narration, autobiographical writing, diary writing; and creative tools like brain storming, brain writing, design thinking, mind mapping.

The mentees’ learning outcomes were compared through specific reference levels identified by the partnership as follows:

*INITIAL = The mentee, if guided, is able to do simple tasks in known context (conscious imitation)

** PRACTICAL = The mentee is able to do simple tasks, adapting knowledge and skills to a new context

*** FUNCTIONAL = The mentee is able and aware to do tasks and to solve problems in new contexts, using the acquired knowledge and skills

**** EXPERT = The mentee is able and aware to do complex tasks and to solve problems in unusual contexts, personalizing the acquired knowledge and skills

***** INNOVATIVE = The mentee is able and aware to do innovative tasks and to solve problems in creative contexts, through abstract models.

Assessment was crucial to the overall credibility of validation of non-formal learning acquired through intergenerational mentoring.

The assessment tools were designed to assess the learning specific to each individual and the context in which this learning took place (see tables 6 and 7).

The individual specificity of learning outcomes required the use of more than one tool (such as practical demonstrations, simulations or discussions).

3 For more information on the “Personal Foundation” and “Self-Employment and Business Foundation” educational packages please see the “Handbook”, available at the section “Documents” of the project website (https://bethechange-project.eu/documents/).

10

Assessment tools and processes were communicated and shared with the mentors and the mentees in a transparent way.

Formative approaches to assessment aimed to provide feedback to the learning process or learning career, indicating strengths and weaknesses and providing a basis for personal improvement. The mentors focused on what the mentees knew, understood and were able to do, trying to capture their diverse individual learning experiences.

The assessment phase comprehended also a self-assessment tool for mentors briefly, described in chapter 4.

(4) Certification of the results of the assessment of each mentee’s learning outcomes acquired through non-formal intergenerational learning.

When validation reached the stage of certification required a summative assessment officially confirming the achievement of learning outcomes against a specified standard. The value - or the currency - of a certificate or qualification acquired through validation largely depends on the legitimacy of the awarding body or authority.

In the specific case of the “Be The Change” project, validation aimed at empowering the individual and served as a tool for providing second chance opportunities to the mentees. Mentors and mentees received a symbolic certificate of attendance to the project, because official and largely recognized standards concerning mentoring and entrepreneurship competences are still missing at international level.

CHAPTER 4 – METHODOLOGIES FOR THE RECOGNITION AND VALIDATION AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE ASSESSMENT IN EACH COUNTRY In this chapter an overview of the contents of the trainings for mentors and mentees is provided and principles, methods and tools for the assessment of the competences acquired during the pilot training carried out in Germany, Italy, Malta and Slovenia are described. As already mentioned, in Hungary the pilot phase was not implemented, because Hungarian partner was responsible for the dissemination of the project results.

4.1 Description of methods, sheets and questionnaires/matrixes for the assessment at country level The training materials were built on the educational conceptual framework4 that was elaborated by Prof. Russell Smith of the University of Malta and made available to the project partners.

At the same time, the training learning objectives were fixed on the basis of the educational needs of seniors and youngsters drawn by the results of the study of the context carried out in Germany, Hungary, Italy, Malta and Slovenia in the first year of the “Be The Change” project5.

4 For deepening Prof. Russell Smith’s approach, see the “Be The Change” International Report, Intellectual Output 1 - Open Educational Resources Action 2: Reporting The Framework Analysis, Chapter 2 “The Framework” (p. 15), available at https://bethechange-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/International-Report.pdf.5 The results of the analysis of the national contexts (or “Framework Analysis”) in Germany, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Slovenia are available at this link https://bethechange-project.eu/documents/.

11

The following figure summarizes the process from the study of the context up to the evaluation phase.

Fig 1 Process steps and objectives: from the identification of the educational needs to the learning outcomes assessment

Table 1 gives an overview of the different typologies of assessment carried out during the monitoring phase in the four countries involved in the pilot phase. In Germany, Italy and Slovenia three kinds of observation were done because: 1) mentors compiled a self-assessment sheet; 2) mentors evaluated mentees through “ad hoc” matrixes (described in par. 4.1.2); 3) mentees filled in a diary or a self- evaluation sheet. In Malta mentors were not evaluated but they observed and evaluated the mentees through an “ad hoc” matrix (reported at page 23).

Tab 1 Methodology for the assessment of mentors and mentees during the monitoring of the pilot phase

(M= Mentor; m= Mentee)

COUNTRY ACTIONS WHO? TOOLS METHODS (TECHNIQUES)

Germany

Italy

Slovenia

During the training (observation)

M M

Assessment sheet Self-assessment

Matrix One to one observation of mentees by

12

Study of the context

Conceptual framework Training plan

Training materials

design

Training implementation

Outcome assessment

Identifying Targets needs

Fixing the learning

objectives

Planning Subjects of the training

Elaborating training

materials

Boosting competences

Measuring the impact

STEPS OBJECTIVES

PROCESS STEPS

M m mentors m m Diary/self-evaluation

sheetSelf- assessment

Final a) (results)

M mAssessment sheet

Questionnaires

Verify through testsCo-evaulation (between mentors)Co-evaulation (between mentors and metees)

b) SatisfactionT M

T m Satisfaction questionnaire Individually on-line self- assessment

Malta During (observation) M m

Matrix One to one observation of mentees by mentors

In the following paragraphs we describe the criteria for identifying the features of the tools for the assessment of seniors and youngsters attending the “Be The Change” trainings and the method for the data collection.

4.1.1 Mentors: training contents and evaluation sheetThe study of the framework showed that mentors’ characteristics, needs and expectations were quite homogeneous cross-country: they had a medium/high educational level and were likely to be trained with the purpose of bettering their mentoring capabilities. They were basically available to share their knowledge with the younger generation, even though they underlined to have short time to spend with the youngsters.

For them was designed a training plan developed through five steps for the achievement of the following five learning goals: Listening skills; Identifying aspects of value in the youngster; Exploring skills, products or services that the youngster could sell; Encouraging the youngster to generate revenue from their own ‘value’; Defining the best opportunity available for the youngster to pursue.

The following table (Table 2) shows how the learning goals were translated into the training contents.

All training materials developed by the “Be The Change” consortium are fully available in four languages (German, Italian, Maltese and Slovenian) at this link to the repository of the “Be The Change” e-learning platform, as shown by the following figure (Figure 2) that is a screenshot of the corresponding platform page.

Fig 2 E-learning platform page reporting training materials

13

The training materials are divided in the following sections:

1) Before the training starts: here you can find all materials for the promotion of the training, such as fanfold brochure, application forms and overall description of courses objectives and plan

2) First meeting: here you can find introductory materials and full training materials on mentoring for seniors (older entrepreneurs)

3) Personal Foundation: here there are all materials for training NEETs to how recognize their value and to find a job

4) Self-employment and Business Foundation: here there are all materials for training NEETs who want to start a self-employment activity or a business.

Tab 2 Learning objectives and training contents for seniors

LEARNING OBJECTIVES TRAINING CONTENTS

Providing an overview of the training materials provided

General description of the materials provided to the Senior for use in the programme but with specific reference to the first meeting.

Listening skills Tools and techniques that the senior can employ.Interview techniques Tools and techniques that the senior can employ.Mentoring approach Tools and techniques that the senior can employ.

Dealing with disengagement issues

A checklist to help deal with issues that may emerge relating to why the NEET became disengaged. Reasons might include (i) never engaged (e.g. refugee), (ii) educational difficulties, (iii) medical issues and (iv) social issues. Includes a list of contact points and a check list to identify when to refer to family doctor or social services.

Building confidence Tools and techniques that the Senior can employ.Determining the literacy and numeracy skills of the NEET Application of a simple test to check literacy and numeracy skills.

Determining the best path of the NEET Working with the NEET to agree a way forward.

Getting agreement and setting a 'commitment contract' with the NEET for the steps along an agreed path

A simple document that asks the NEET to commit to a number of meetings and to produce a number of assignments in order to achieve an agreed outcome.

Commitment Contract Sets out what the Senior will provide (eight sessions) and what the NEET must do at each session and afterwards (assignments).

Diary Schedule Defines a list of meeting dates and times over a three-month period (eight sessions).

Initial Meeting Report One-page report from the Senior after the initial meeting.

For the evaluation of the mentoring competences acquired by the mentors, it was created a questionnaire (see the Annex) aiming at measuring the mentoring skills and competences acquired during the training for

14

becoming “mentors” and the benefits deriving from the “Be The Change” intergenerational teaching methodology, such as well-being, perceived self-esteem and self-efficacy (Murayama et al., 2014; Villar & Serrat, 2014). Mentors self-reported their opinions twice: before and after the training (Wave 1 and Wave 2). Questions 1 and 2 of the questionnaire explored mentoring capabilities (adapted from Caprara, 2001), know-how capitalization and handover. Questions from 3 to 6 were a self-evaluation and contextualization of mentoring competences. In Wave 1, questions from 7 to 10 asked the entrepreneurs’ learning needs and expectations about the training in order to tailor the contents on their answers. The Wave 2 questionnaire differs from the Wave 1 for two aspects. First, the addition of the questions from 7 to 10, that explored what the entrepreneurs wanted to improve further after the course and what benefit arose during the training. Second, the presence of a questionnaire to measure the level of satisfaction of the entrepreneurs about the course attended.

The described assessment sheet for mentors was used by AWO (Germany), Ca’ Foscari University (Italy) and UPI-Žalec (Slovenia). The University of Malta did not carry out the course for mentors due to the presence of entrepreneurs already skilled in mentoring, thus decided developing six questions for exploring the usefulness of the training for the entrepreneurs (see the Annex).

4.1.2 Mentees: training contents and evaluation tools The results coming from the study of the context showed significant cross-country differences among youngsters and then the four countries involved in implementing the pilot training phase were categorized into two clusters according to the main typology of the youngsters identified at national level. The first cluster embedded low educated youngsters, at risk of social disengagement, from Slovenia and Germany; the second included medium and high educated youngsters from Italy and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds from Malta.

The youngsters of the first group (from Germany and Slovenia) needed first to learn identifying their own value, their talents and potential, essential prerequisites for applying for a job. Those of the second group (from Italy and Malta) needed to acquire the aforementioned prerequisites and also specific economic and management competences for starting a business and becoming self-employed or entrepreneurs. Thus, as mentioned above, two tailored educational pathways were designed for meeting the needs of each typology of youngsters: the first was named “Personal Foundation” (Table 3) and the second “Self-Employment and Business Foundation” (Table 4). The decision to assign the type of the educational pathway to youngsters in different countries (i.e. “Personal Foundation” in Germany and Slovenia and “Self-Employment and Business Foundation” in Italy and Malta) has been driven according to an evaluation made by every project partner about the characteristics of youngsters and on the basis of professional competences available within each organization.

The consortium defined a list of contents and developed the training materials, as reported in the tables below (Table 3). For deepening the trainings contents and materials it is possible to find detailed descriptions in the “Handbook” for the implementation of the “Be The Change” intergenerational learning methodology”, available at https://bethechange-project.eu/documents/.

Tab 3 “Personal Foundation” educational package: learning objectives and training contents

LEARNING OBJECTIVES TRAINING CONTENTSIntroduction to the training Same document used by Senior and NEET.

15

My Competences How to write a CV How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET

with template.

How to write a personal brochure

How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

My Work "Services I can offer to an Employer"

Checklist: same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

"Types of jobs I could apply for"

Checklist: same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

My Plan How to find employment opportunities

How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

How to apply for a job How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

Checklist for an interview Checklist: same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

Interview role play Role play exercise

Six-month plan How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

My Money Introduction to personal budgets

Checklist: same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

Creating a personal budget Access to online budget planner (eg MoneySavingExpert.com)

Dealing with money Same document used by Senior and NEET; information about personal banking and use of credit cards.

Follow Up Handling rejection Same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

Staying motivated until employment is found Same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

Final feedback form - Senior

Feedback form for completion by Senior at end of programme

Final feedback form - NEET Feedback form for completion by NEET at end of programme

Tab 4 “Self-Employment and Business Foundation” educational package: learning objectives and training contents

LEARNING OBJECTIVES TRAINING CONTENTSIntroduction Overall Description Same document used by Senior and NEET.

The Business Canvas Model Same document used by Senior and NEET.

Business Structures Details of local requirements in partner countries

Defining the Value Proposition Same document used by Senior and NEET & brochure.

Product How to price goods and services How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET.

Protecting Intellectual Property Checklist: same document used by Senior and NEET.

Market How to do market research How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET.

How to market products/services How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET.

16

Business Plan The contents of a business plan Checklist: same document used by Senior and NEET.

How to write a business plan How to do it: guideline with template.

Cash Flow Forecast

Introduction to personal budgets Same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

Creating a cash flow forecast Same document used by Senior and NEET with template.

Production Managing production and delivery How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET.

Dealing with suppliers How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET.Commercial Routes to market Checklist: same document used by Senior and NEET.

Channel partners Checklist: same document used by Senior and NEET.People Defining the team How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET.

Hiring and managing staff How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET.Finance Dealing with money Information about business and personal finance.

Raising business finance Explanation of debt and equity finance

Launch Launching a new business venture How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET.

Managing the new business How to do it: same document used by Senior and NEET.

Follow Up Session summary report One-page summary of session written by the Senior

The assessment tools for the recognition of acquired entrepreneurial competences among the youngsters were designed according with the two educational packages described above.

The mentees attending the “Personal Foundation” training were evaluated through two tools. The first was a pre-post self-evaluation sheet, developed by Elisabetta Abbondanza (AWO) and aiming at taking track of the change in self-esteem and capability of recognizing their own value and not only for checking the learnt entrepreneurial competences (see Appendix). The second tool was a matrix used by mentors for observing and evaluating the competences acquired by their mentees, where “competence” means what mentees can actually perform in practice with or through that learning, and not merely what they learnt (Table 5).

This tool distinguished five levels of learning (i.e. INITIAL-Conscious imitation; PRACTICAL-Adaptation to the context; FUNCTIONAL-Finalized realization; EXPERT-Personalisation; INNOVATIVE-Creative innovation) and 4 processes of competence development (i.e. Cognitive, Agency, Metacognitive, Socio-relational) that are explained below.

Cognitive process is connected to acquiring knowledge and it encompasses processes such as attention, memory, judgment and evaluation, problem solving and decision making, comprehension (connected to actions such as reproducing, applying, transferring, evaluating, creating). Cognitive processes use existing knowledge and generate new knowledge.

Agency means “operational competences” (connected to actions such as imitating, adjusting, realizing, producing, personalizing, innovating, inventing).

Metacognitive process refers to awareness of one’s own knowledge and one’s ability to understand, control, and manipulate one’s cognitive processes. It includes knowing when and where to use particular strategies for learning and problem solving as well as how and why to use specific strategies. It is connected to actions such as recognising, reviewing, transforming, estimating, predicting, conceptualising.

17

Socio-relational process is connected to actions aimed at building dynamics in groups such as tolerating, accepting, respecting, welcoming, collaborating and cooperating.

The model defines each specific competence at different levels of expertise and proficiency. INITIAL is the simplest level, INNOVATIVE is the most complex.

Through this model the mentors could track the evolution of the learning process by using this matrix as explained in Box 1.

18

Tab 5 Model for the analysis of the development of competency processes (Model elaborated by Prof. Fiorino Tessaro)

LEVELSimple --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Complex

COMPETENCE INITIAL (Conscious imitation)

PRACTICAL(Adaptation to the context)

FUNCTIONAL(Finalized realization)

EXPERT(Personalisation)

INNOVATIVE(Creative innovation)

PROCESSES

COGNITIVE TO REPRODUCETO RECOGNIZETO UNDERSTAND

TO EXERCISETO IDENTIFYTO APPLY

TO USETO TRANSFERTO ANALYZE

TO JUSTIFY TO REBUILDTO EVALUATE

TO GENERATETO DISCOVERTO CREATE

AGENCY TO IMITATETO REPEAT

TO ADJUSTTO ADAPT

TO REALIZETO PRODUCE

TO PERSONALIZETO CHARACTERIZE

TO INNOVATETO INVENT

METACOGNITIVE TO CHECKTO TRYTO RECOGNISE

TO ADJUSTTO REVIEWTO MODIFY

TO ELABORATETO TRANSFORMTO SOLVETO COMPARETO EXPLAIN

TO DESIGNTO ESTIMATETO EVALUATETO INTERPRET

TO PREDICTTO IMAGINETO CONCEPTUALISE

SOCIO-RELATIONAL TO TOLERATETO IGNORE

TO CONSIDERTO ACCEPT

TO RESPECTTO WELCOME

TO COPARTICIPATETO COLLABORATE

TO CO-BUILDTO COOPERATE

SITUATION – CONTEXT - ENVIRONMENT

PERSONAL(Daily)

PROXIMAL(Close – Frequent)

SOCIAL(Occasional)

GENERAL(Unusual)

UNIVERSAL(Through abstract models)

19

Italian and Maltese mentees attending the “Self-Employment and Business Foundation” educational training, were evaluated through the following matrix (Table 6), developed by Barbara Baschiera, Fiorino Tessaro and Russell Smith. It can be used by mentors to assess the competences developed by their mentees during the training, through a careful observation. This matrix allows to match the training sessions with the competences that every sessions aims to foster and to identify the strength of each training session in reaching this goal. This table is also a tool for rating the level of acquired competences.

The instructions for its compilations are available in the Box 2.

20

Box 1: How to compile the matrix for the assessment of the competences acquisition

The acquisition of competences ranges from simple to complex through 5 levels: INITIAL (Conscious imitation), PRACTICAL (Adaptation to the context), FUNCTIONAL (Finalized realization), EXPERT (Personalization), INNOVATIVE (Creative innovation).

Depending on the situation and the context in which the mentee uses competence, 5 levels can be distinguished: PERSONAL (Daily), PROXIMAL (Close – Frequent), SOCIAL (Occasional), GENERAL (Unusual) and UNIVERSAL (Through abstract models).

Through the observation, the mentor can assess his/her mentee’s kind of competences and level of expertise by marking with a tick the correspondent cell.

Mentor can use the table also for taking note of the learning context/situation and of the frequency of the learning process. In the last row indeed, the observer can choose and tick among PERSONAL (Daily); PROXIMAL (Close – Frequent); SOCIAL (Occasional); GENERAL (Unusual); UNIVERSAL (Through abstract models).

Tab 6 Assessment of competences for the Self-Employment and Business Foundation (Prof. Russell Smith, Prof. Fiorino Tessaro, Dr. Barbara Baschiera)

BE THE CHANGE TRAINING ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCES (AGENCY) LEVEL OF ACQUISITION OF COMPETENCES

Section Sub-section Innovating Planning

Mitigating

(Risk

reduction)

Funding Communicating Managing

Initial Practical Functional Expert Innovative

CHECK

TRY

RECOGNISE

ADJUST

REVIEW

MODIFY

ELABORATE

SOLVE

EXPLAIN

DESIGN

EVALUATE

INTERPRET

PREDICT

IMAGINE

CONCEPTUALISE

Autonomy Business Foundation

Business Structures

Strong Strong Strong Weak

Defining the Value Proposition

Strong Strong Weak Strong

Product How to price goods and services

Weak Strong Strong Strong Weak Weak

Protecting Intellectual Property

Weak Strong Strong

Market How to do market research

Strong Strong Strong Weak Weak

How to market products/services

WeakStrong Strong Strong Strong Strong

21

Business Plan

The contents of a business plan

Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong

How to write a business plan

Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong

Cash Flow Forecast

Introduction to personal budgets

Strong Strong Strong Weak

Creating a cash flow forecast

Strong Strong Strong Weak Strong

ProductionManaging production and delivery

Weak Strong Strong Weak Strong

Dealing with suppliers

Strong Strong Weak Strong Strong

Commercial Routes to market

Strong Strong Strong Weak Strong Strong

Channel partners

Strong Strong Strong Weak Strong Strong

People Defining the team

Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong

Hiring and managing staff

Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong

Finance Dealing with money

Weak Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong

Raising business finance

Weak Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong

LaunchLaunching a new business venture

Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong

Managing the new business

Weak Strong Strong Strong Strong Strong

22

The matrix number 7 is an example of how the data collected during the pilot phase through the above assessment tool were systematized in a unique table. The table reports the case of a mentee who attended the pilot training in Malta: he was evaluated by his mentor and a score was provided for six features of entrepreneurship competences (Innovating, Mitigating, Funding, Communicating, Managing). A pre and post total score was calculated for identifying the extent of the improvement.

All the above assessment tools have been developed on the basis of the characteristics of the users and the contents of the courses. Their use made it possible to identify the main skills acquired by learners during the pilot phase.

23

Box 2: How to read and compile the matrix for the assessment of entrepreneurial competences acquired through the “Self-Employment and Business Foundation” training

On the left side of the matrix there are “Sections” and “Subsections” of the training.

For example, under the section “Autonomy Business Foundation” were implemented two lessons focused on two subjects for learning to draw the Business Structures and to Define the Value Proposition.

In the columns between three and eight, grouped under the definition “COMPETENCES (AGENCY)”, where “Agency" means competences connected to actions such as imitating, adjusting, realizing, producing, personalizing, innovating, inventing, there are the entrepreneurial competences: Innovating, Planning, Mitigating, Funding, Communicating, Managing.

The green cells are the match between training sub-sessions (i.e. lessons) and the competences that each sub-section aims to teach. “Strong “and “weak” indicate the extent to which the training materials and the lesson meet that goal (i.e. the competence).

Thus, we can read the table like the following: the lesson on the business structure does not enhance “innovation” and “communicating” competences at all, but it strongly fosters “planning”, “mitigating” and “funding” entrepreneurial competences.

In the column from nine to thirteen the model defines each specific competence at different levels of expertise and proficiency. INITIAL is the simplest level, INNOVATIVE is the most complex, as shown also in table 5/Box 1.

The mentor can observe and assess his/her mentee’s level of expertise choosing and marking with a tick the correspondent level of competence developed.

Tab 7 Pre and post score of competences acquired during the pilot training in Malta by a mentee

24

4.2 Lessons learned The training sessions6 aided the mentees greatly in self-analyzing and rediscovering their inner self confidence. The confidential environment created during the sessions merged the field of personal and career counselling which gave them a boost to take the step forward to better their standing at the time. The sessions were also adapted to the issues which the mentees were facing; this made the training personalized and not structured around a rigid structure.

Some structures for knowledge transfer between entrepreneurs and NEETs were considered necessary by some partners.

a. Mentoring structures:i. Supervisor: Build a stable relationship with NEET and the capability to stay in

contact, encourage, nudge, comfort and push. Requires larger time commitmentii. Expert: Specific expertise in a field or topic which can be passed on to the mentee

using different methods (lecture or talk, storytelling, one-on-one situation) Content can be both motivational and specific knowledge

iii. Group Coordinator: Enable communication between stakeholders, help with organization and minimize friction

b. Structures for mentors:i. Incentives for taking part

ii. Recognition of mentors efforts (monetary or otherwise)iii. Enough time for working on necessary skillsiv. Means for making the working meetings pleasantv. Treat them as co-owners/co-experts in the project

c. Structures for mentees:i. Group experiences/Group formation

ii. Time for finding the right mentoriii. Time to build relationship to mentor (estimated 3 months for good working

relationship)iv. Incentives for NEETs (monetary or otherwise).

Providing and receiving feedback was considered a very good method of assessment for young mentees and mentors in an informal direct way. It was the best form of voluntarily giving assessment. In light of the experience of the monitoring phase, it seems to be important to have very friendly and understandable assessment tools that can be used also by mentors without theoretical knowledge on education and pedagogy.

The collaboration of mentors and mentees to work together on the assessment tools gave the possibility to speak together and reflect the outcomes and strengths of the project.

Although the significant findings coming from the pilot phase described above, it is possible to identify several limitations in the training implementation and in the assessment tools. First, it would have been 6 For details on the trainings implementation, number of lessons, contents and materials, please see chapter 3 of the “Handbook for the implementation of the ‘Be The Change’ intergenerational learning methodology”, available at https://bethechange-project.eu/documents/.

25

useful to use a written form for mentees about working with their mentors, to simplify and shorten the assessment forms, to give more space to interact. A non-formal interview (open questions about entrepreneurial competences) with mentee made by an extern person could have simplified the assessment and make it more meaningful.

Moreover, a final group-meeting in which all mentors and mentees would have spoken about their personal outcomes and their next steps could have been helpful.

Furthermore, in some countries, longer one-to-one mentoring sessions would have been useful for strengthening the relationships and transferring knowledge.

Finally, in light of the pilot experience, it was recommended that future projects also involve incubator facilities with mentoring capability.

CHAPTER 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STAKEHOLDERSThe recognition and validation processes concern stakeholders from different sectors (formal education institutions, industry and enterprises, social partners, adult education providers and voluntary organizations). To share the principles aimed at developing, implementing and financing national recognition and validation systems it is necessary to involve all of them through social dialogue.

It is also important to note that the main problem of the NEETs is their growing isolation in society. As a result of the training process we registered that the mentees have more interest also in learning new competences depending on their social acceptance and opening to social networks. Based on this insight, a new project with NEETs and mentors inspired by the “Be The Change” experience/approach should include the participation of more stakeholders and the investment of more time and resources in creating social structures and social learning activities for the target group.

5.1 Establishing recognition and validation as a key component of a national lifelong learning strategyIt seems really important that a national lifelong learning strategy with the recognition and validation of non-formal learning become a means for improving personal fulfilment and for increasing the access and the mobility within education and in the labour market.

For reaching this goal it is necessary that stakeholders become aware and accept formal education and training systems of the learning outcomes gained in non-traditional settings.

To this extent, it is suggested that stakeholders create procedures aimed at identifying, documenting, assessing, validating learning outcomes taking into consideration experiential learning, self-directed learning and other forms of learning outside formal education and training institutions.

It seems urgent that national references or standards will be created in order to share a common understanding of learning outcomes of non-formal and informal learning, making use of both formative assessment (which draws more attention to identification and documentation of learning progress) and

26

summative assessment (which aims explicitly to validate and recognize learning outcomes, leading to qualification).

Through this process all European countries should be able to provide special support to early school-leavers, adults with special learning needs, people and workers with low levels of education and those excluded from the labour market.

5.2 Making recognition and validation of entrepreneurial competences integral to education and training systemsEntrepreneurship is a result of a long-developed cultural and education environment. European countries and stakeholders involved in the process of education and training need to take a much more sustained and long-term approach, focused on the local market needs and context. A number of actions are necessary at the European, national, regional and local levels to increase interaction between non-formal and informal educational institutions, enterprises and voluntary organizations to translate learning outcomes from working and life experiences into formative credits and/or qualifications. Universities, policy makers and the business community need to work together to prepare young people to work in a globally competitive and dynamic world. Below there are a series of recommendations for formal, non-formal and informal education providers following from the analysis of the opportunities and challenges in intergeneration entrepreneurship education encountered during the “Be The Change” project training implementation and monitoring. It would be welcome to:

- Integrate entrepreneurship into the curriculum and build towards a multidisciplinary learning environment;

- Make entrepreneurship a required course for all levels of education;

- Set high-quality standards for entrepreneurship curricula and research;

- Hire more professors and teachers fully dedicated to entrepreneurship;

- Support workshops and training programmes for teachers of and on entrepreneurship;

- Provide training for entrepreneurs and other practitioners to become effective mentors;

- Promote the application of “learning by doing” through project-based learning, internships and consulting;

- Make use of case studies for discussion-based learning;

- Promote the use of narrative tools for storytelling about experiences of entrepreneurship and creating new business forms;

-Create more opportunities to meet young and mature entrepreneurs, by opening more often the doors of schools and training institutions to the latter;

- Prefer one-to-one mentoring during the training, as it seems to be more effective than group session for building relationships of mutual trust and for orienting and inspiring young people.

A very important goal of the “Be The Change” trainings was achieving socio-relational competences as to welcome, to communicate, to inspire, to guide, to give feedback, to collaborate, to participate. Based on this insight, we recommend also for the methodologies for the recognition and validation of assessment of

27

a project about informal and non-formal learning the using of feedbacks-models based on a written registration of open and informal dialogue between mentors and mentees about the achieved outcomes.

According to the findings of the “Be The Change” project, it seems imperative that all European countries take steps to accelerate the process of recognising and validating the outcomes of non-formal intergenerational entrepreneurship education for disadvantaged groups. Intergenerational entrepreneurship education represents the key for redirecting learning paths capable of integrating the different generations and of defining new pedagogical models based on multidisciplinary, competent and generative actions. This educational approach should be supported by specific policies addressing both the educational sector and the labour market, in order to help the transition from the first to the second and vice versa, favouring also the lifelong learning and according to a perspective of intergenerational solidarity (Baschiera, Santini & Socci, 2018). There is an urgent need for a real political commitment. National authorities should use the concept of intergenerational learning to target those groups and individuals who engage the least in society and who are most at risk of unemployment and social exclusion. They should adopt this dimension in a comprehensive long-term strategic approach to intergenerational and lifelong learning. Policy makers have to implement education programmes that are learner-centred and built on equal partnerships. It is crucial especially for civil society to raise awareness among media, politics and stakeholders about the importance of validating and recognizing entrepreneurial competences to build a better society and living together.

28

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alfieri, S., Sironi, E., Marta, E., Rosina, A., & Marzana, D. (2015). Young Italian NEETs (Not in employment, education, or training) and the influence of their family background. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 11(2), 311-322.

Baschiera, B., Santini, S., & Socci, M. (2018). Intergenerational entrepreneurship education: Older entrepreneurs reducing youngsters’ social and work disengagement. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 76 (1), 7-20.

Caprara, G.V. (2001). La valutazione dell’autoefficacia. Costrutti e strumenti [The evaluation of self-efficacy. Constructs and tools]. Trento: Erickson.

Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) (2009). European Guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. Retrieved from http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/4054_en.pdf.

Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) (2014). Terminology of European education and training policy: a selection of 130 terms. 2nd ed. Luxembourg: Publications Office.

Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) (2015). European Guidelines for validating non-formal and informal learning. Luxembourg: Publications Office. Cedefop reference series; No 104. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.2801/008370.

Di Francesco, G. (2013). Le competenze per vivere e lavorare oggi: Principali evidenze dall’Indagine PIACC [Skills for living and working today: Principal findings from the PIAAC]. Isfol Research Paper, 9. Retrieved from http://www.isfol.it/pubblicazioni/research-paper/archivio-researchpaper/le-competenze-per-vivere-e-lavorare-oggi.

European Commission (2012). EU Youth Report. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/youth/policy/ implementation/report_en.htm. European Commission.

European Commission; Cedefop; ICF International (2014). European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning 2014: country report Malta. Retrieved from http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2014/87069_MT. pdf.

Hatton-Yeo, A. (2009). Introduction. In T. Almeido Pinto (Ed.), Guide for planning and implementing intergenerational projects. Together, yesterday and tomorrow. Mates project. Retrieved from http://www.matesproject.eu/GUIDE_21_versions/ English.pdf

Murayama, Y., Ohba, H., Yasunaga, M., Nonaka, K., Takeuchi, R., Nishi, M., Sakuma, N., Uchida, H., Shinkai, S., & Fujiwara, Y. (2014). The effect of intergenerational programs on the mental health of elderly adults. Aging Mental Health, 19(4), 306–14. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2014.933309

OECD (2013). Skilled for life? Key findings from the Survey of Adult Skills . Retrieved from http://www. oecd.org/site/piaac/SkillsOutlook_2013_ebook.pdf.

OECD (2015). Recognition of Non-formal and Informal Learning. Paris, OECD. Retrieved from http://www. oecd.org/education/skills-beyond-school/recognitionofnon-formalandinformallearning-home.htm.

29

OECD (2017). Preventing ageing unequally. How does Italy compare? Retrieved from http://www.oecd. org/italy/PAU2017-ITA-En.pdf.

UIL (2012). UNESCO Guidelines on the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation (RVA) of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning. Hamburg: UIL. Available at http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002163/216360e.pdf.

Villar, F., & Serrat, R. (2014). A field in search of concepts: The relevance of generativity to understanding intergenerational relationships. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 12(4), 381–397. doi: 10.1080/15350770.2014.960352.

Walker, A., & Maltby, T. (2012). Active ageing: A strategic policy solution to demographic ageing in the European Union. International Journal of Welfare Journal, 21(1), 117-130.

WHO - World Health Organization (2002). Active ageing: a policy framework. Geneva: World Health Organization.

30

APPENDIX

ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR MENTORS. Wave 1 - Before the training start

We ask you to express your opinions regarding the statements below, indicating your degree of agreement with them. Read each statement carefully and indicate with a cross the number that best expresses your opinion. We also ask you to answer open questions in this document. There are no right or wrong answers. The best answer is the one that most closely matches your experience and your way of thinking. Thank you for your collaboration.

1. Self-assessment of mentoring capabilities.

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 7 “I strongly agree” and 0 “I do not know”I THINK I WILL BE …

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0

1. able to overcome all the difficulties encountered in carrying out the mentoring session with the mentee(s)2. able to take full advantage of technological innovations (e.g. use of social networks or e-learning platform) to improve my teaching and mentoring3. able to intervene promptly and effectively in cases of non-respectful, polemical or verbally aggressive behavior by the mentee(s)

4. able to make me appreciate as a mentor by mentee(s)

5. able to establish a relationship of mutual respect with the mentee(s)

6. able to involve and stimulate the mentee(s)

7. able to collaborate with other mentors that I could meet during the training8. able to organize my training activities and to respect the commitments undertaken, even in the presence of unforeseen urgencies9. able to effectively deal with the problems of the mentees/group of mentees (e.g. conflicts)

2. Self-assessment of know-how capitalization, exploiting and handover

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 7 “I strongly agree” and 0 “I do not know”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 01. I think I have many things to teach young people thanks to my experience as an entrepreneur or person with entrepreneurial skills2. I am able to convey to young people what I can do3. I believe that my experience as an entrepreneur or person with entrepreneurial skills is adequately appreciated by young people4. I believe that my experience as an entrepreneur or person with entrepreneurial skills is adequately appreciated by adults and older people5. I believe that my skills as an entrepreneur or person with entrepreneurial skills can be exploited to the maximum by future generations6. I think I do my best to encourage generational change in my business

31

3. Self-assessment of mentoring skills

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 4 “I strongly agree” and 0 “I do not know”

I CAN…

Mentoring skills 1 2 3 4 0

1. Building Authentic Relationships2. Building Trust 3. Being a Community Networker4. Listening actively5. Managing Conflict6. Coaching7. Developing metacognitive processes8. Encouraging and Inspiring9. Providing and Receiving Feedback10. Guiding11. Supporting the solution-finding process

4. On the basis of the above mentoring skills you think you have, indicate when you have recently used at least 3 of the skills you have identified in the previous table. To answer, you can use the following template (for example "I have built authentic relationships that time ..."):

a) I____________________________________________________________That time….

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b) I____________________________________________________________That time….

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c) I____________________________________________________________That time….

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Self-assessment of mentoring competences

Please indicate 3 competences that you feel you possess, by placing a cross in the cells of the right hand column of the following table.

Mentoring competences

Definitions CompetencesI have

Building relationship Ability to establish a meaningful dialogue that includes active

32

with the mentee listening skills, ability to empathize and show positive consideration, openness and mutual trust and ability to identify and enhance both the common points and the differences

Active listening Listening skills, observing as a receiver, parallel processing, ability to project information, observe as an issuer, abandon the listening process

Give a direction Ability to identify, clarify and manage the objective; personal design; verification of the level of commitment of mentee (pupil) to specific objectives; reality exam)

Planning action and defining objectives

Ability to obtain information on the objectives of the mentee, define and detail mentoring objectives, plan the achievement of the proposed objectives, establish and apply the decision procedures in the short and medium term

6. On the basis of the above mentoring competences you think you have, indicate when you have recently used up to 3 of the competences you have identified in the previous table. To answer, you can use the following template (for example "I knew how to set a direction that time ..."):

a) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b) I____________________________________________________________That time….

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c) I____________________________________________________________That time….

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Which knowledge about mentoring would you like to improve? [To ask only in case of theoretical lessons during the training]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Which mentoring skills would you like to refine?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Which mentoring competences would you like to improve?

33

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Which main benefits could arise from the training for you (for example general well-being, self-esteem, feeling useful for young people, chances for socialization, implementing the acquired knowledge in your business, etc)? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OPTIONAL QUESTIONS

1. Well-being self-assessment

For each statement please indicate which best describes your experience over the last 2 weeks, choosing either:

5 All the time 4 Often 3 Some of the time 2 Rarely 1 None of the time 5

All t

he

time

4 O

ften

3 So

me

of

the

time

2 Ra

rely

1 N

one

of

the

time

a) I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future b) I’ve been feeling usefulc) I’ve been handling the stressd) I’ve been dealing with problems welle) I’ve been thinking clearly how to solve problemsf) I’ve been feeling close to other peopleg) I’ve been able to make up my own mind about things

2. Self-esteem self-assessment

For each statement indicate how much you agree or disagree with a sign on one of the 4 options that follow each statement.

1. On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

2. At times I think I am no good at all.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

3. I feel that I have a number of good qualities.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

4. I am able to do things as well as most other people.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

5. I feel I do not have much to be proud of me.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

6. I certainly feel useless at times.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

7. I feel that I am a person of worth, at least on an equal level with others.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

8. I wish I could have more respect for myself.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

9. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure.

34

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree10. I take a positive attitude toward myself.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

3. Self-efficacy self-assessment

For each statement indicate how much you agree or disagree, following the criteria of the following table where 1 = “strongly disagree” and 4 = “strongly agree”.

1. I can solve difficult problems 1 2 3 42. If someone opposes me, I can find the way or the system to get what I want 1 2 3 43. For me it is easy to achieve my goals 1 2 3 44. I am confident I can cope with unexpected events efficiently 1 2 3 45. Thanks to my personal resources, I know how to handle unexpected situations 1 2 3 46. I can solve most problems thanks to the commitment that I put in it 1 2 3 47. I remain calm in dealing with difficulties because I can trust in my abilities 1 2 3 48. When faced with a problem, I usually find several solutions 1 2 3 49. Even in situations of "stalemate", I can always think of something to be implemented 1 2 3 410. Even in the face of failure, I do not give up 1 2 3 4

ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR MENTORS. Wave 2 - After the trainingWe ask you to express your opinions regarding the statements below, indicating your degree of agreement with them. Read each statement carefully and indicate with a cross the number that best expresses your opinion. We also ask you to answer open questions in this document. There are no right or wrong answers. The best answer is the one that most closely matches your experience and your way of thinking. Thank you for your collaboration.

1. Self-assessment of mentoring capabilities.

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 7 “I strongly agree” and 0 “I do not know”

I THINK I AM …

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 01. able to overcome all the difficulties encountered in carrying out the mentoring session with the mentee(s)2. able to take full advantage of technological innovations (e.g. use of social networks or e-learning platform) to improve my teaching and mentoring3. able to intervene promptly and effectively in cases of non-respectful, polemical or verbally aggressive behavior by the mentee(s)4. able to make me appreciate as a mentor by mentee(s)5. able to establish a relationship of mutual respect with the mentee(s)6. able to involve and stimulate the mentee(s)7. able to collaborate with other mentors that I could meet during the training8. able to organize my training activities and to respect the commitments undertaken, even in the presence of unforeseen urgencies9. able to effectively deal with the problems of the mentees/group of mentees (e.g. conflicts)

35

2. Self-assessment of know-how capitalization, exploiting and handover

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 7 “I strongly agree” and 0 “I do not know”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 01. I think I have many things to teach young people thanks to my experience as an entrepreneur or person with entrepreneurial skills2. I am able to convey to young people what I can do3. I believe that my experience as an entrepreneur or person with entrepreneurial skills is adequately appreciated by young people4. I believe that my experience as an entrepreneur or person with entrepreneurial skills is adequately appreciated by adults and older people5. I believe that my skills as an entrepreneur or person with entrepreneurial skills can be exploited to the maximum by future generations6. I think I do my best to encourage generational change in my business

3. Self-assessment of mentoring skills

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 4 “I strongly agree” and 0 “I do not know”

I CAN…

Mentoring skills 1 2 3 4 0

1. Building Authentic Relationships2. Building Trust 3. Being a Community Networker4. Listening actively5. Managing Conflict6. Coaching7. Developing metacognitive processes8. Encouraging and Inspiring9. Providing and Receiving Feedback10. Guiding11. Supporting the solution-finding process

4. On the basis of the above mentoring skills you think you have, indicate when you have recently used at least 3 of the skills you have identified in the previous table. To answer, you can use the following template (for example "I have built authentic relationships that time ..."):

d) I____________________________________________________________That time….

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

36

e) I____________________________________________________________That time….

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

f) I____________________________________________________________That time….

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Self-assessment of mentoring competences

Please indicate 3 competences that you feel you possess, by placing a cross in the cells of the right hand column of the following table.

Mentoring competences

Definitions CompetencesI have

Building relationship with the mentee

Ability to establish a meaningful dialogue that includes active listening skills, ability to empathize and show positive consideration, openness and mutual trust and ability to identify and enhance both the common points and the differences

Active listening Listening skills, observing as a receiver, parallel processing, ability to project information, observe as an issuer, abandon the listening process

Give a direction Ability to identify, clarify and manage the objective; personal design; verification of the level of commitment of mentee (pupil) to specific objectives; reality exam)

Planning action and defining objectives

Ability to obtain information on the objectives of the mentee, define and detail mentoring objectives, plan the achievement of the proposed objectives, establish and apply the decision procedures in the short and medium term

6. On the basis of the above mentoring competences you think you have, indicate when you have recently used up to 3 of the competences you have identified in the previous table. To answer, you can use the following template (for example "I knew how to set a direction that time ..."):

d) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

e) I____________________________________________________________That time….

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

37

f) I____________________________________________________________That time….

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Which knowledge about mentoring would you like to improve further? [To ask only in case of theoretical lessons during the training]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Which mentoring skills would you like to refine further?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Which mentoring competences would you like to improve further?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Which main benefit arose for you from the training you attended within the “Be The Change” project (e.g. general well-being, self-esteem, feeling useful for young people, chances for socialization, implementing the acquired knowledge in your business, etc)?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. Did the training organized by the Erasmus+ “Be The Change” project meet your expectations and needs? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OPTIONAL QUESTIONS

1. Well-being self-assessment

For each statement please indicate which best describes your experience over the last 2 weeks, choosing either:

5 All the time 4 Often 3 Some of the time 2 Rarely 1 None of the time 5

All t

he

time

4 O

ften

3 So

me

of

the

time

2 Ra

rely

1 N

one

of

the

time

a) I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future

38

b) I’ve been feeling usefulc) I’ve been handling the stressd) I’ve been dealing with problems welle) I’ve been thinking clearly how to solve problemsf) I’ve been feeling close to other peopleg) I’ve been able to make up my own mind about things

2. Self-esteem self-assemssment

For each statement indicate how much you agree or disagree with a sign on one of the 4 options that follow each statement.

1. On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

2. At times I think I am no good at all.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

3. I feel that I have a number of good qualities.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

4. I am able to do things as well as most other people.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

5. I feel I do not have much to be proud of me.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

6. I certainly feel useless at times.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

7. I feel that I am a person of worth, at least on an equal level with others.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

8. I wish I could have more respect for myself.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

9. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

10. I take a positive attitude toward myself.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

3. Self-efficacy self-assessmentFor each statement indicate how much you agree or disagree, following the criteria of the following table where 1 = “strongly disagree” and 4 = “strongly agree”.

1. I can solve difficult problems 1 2 3 42. If someone opposes me, I can find the way or the system to get what I want 1 2 3 43. For me it is easy to achieve my goals 1 2 3 44. I am confident I can cope with unexpected events efficiently 1 2 3 45. Thanks to my personal resources, I know how to handle unexpected situations 1 2 3 46. I can solve most problems thanks to the commitment that I put in it 1 2 3 47. I remain calm in dealing with difficulties because I can trust in my abilities 1 2 3 48. When faced with a problem, I usually find several solutions 1 2 3 49. Even in situations of "stalemate", I can always think of something to be implemented 1 2 3 410. Even in the face of failure, I do not give up 1 2 3 4

39

TRAINING SATISFACTION QUESTIONNAIREThis questionnaire aims at assessing your level of satisfaction with the training on mentoring developed by the “Be The Change” project consortium and that you attended.Please, mark (1-5) the following aspects related to training, considering that 1 means “very poor” and 5 means “excellent”.

VENUE AND TIMETABLE

Timetable (when the training took place: training hours and time) :

Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5 Venue (where the training took place: rooms,

building..) : Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

Easiness to reach the venue (was the place easy to reach?) :Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

COMMUNICATION

The information about the training aims and contents was clear Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

The information about the training location was clear:

Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5 Any change to the schedule was

communicated in a timely manner: Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

TRAINING

Training effectiveness (how the training was interesting)Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

Relevance of training to you and/or your professional life Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

Trainers’ preparation on the topics they trained Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

Teaching materials: quality and appropriateness Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

Training equipment: usefulness Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

Mentors’ availability and competenceΟ 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

TRAINING TECHNIQUES Training room organization

Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5 Relationship with trainers

Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5 Intergenerational exchange

Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

TRAINING PLATFORM Accessibility

Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5 Usability

Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5 Effectiveness

Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5 Frequency of use

Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5 Usefulness

Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5 Helpfulness in order to learn

Ο 1 Ο 2 Ο 3 Ο 4 Ο 5

40

QUESTIONS ASKED TO MENTORS IN MALTA

In your opinion and based upon your experience in business…

1. How realistic is it that the ‘Be the Change’ project can be effective in helping young people who are currently ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEET) into employment?

a. Very realisticb. Realisticc. Unrealisticd. Very unrealistic

2. How realistic is it that the ‘Be the Change’ project can be effective in helping young people who are currently ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEET) into self-employment or into business?

a. Very realisticb. Realisticc. Unrealisticd. Very unrealistic

3. The ‘Be the Change’ model matches Senior Mentors with NEETs and combines training and taught materials with ongoing mentoring. How effective do you think this approach is?

a. Very effectiveb. Effectivec. Ineffectived. Very ineffective

4. Do you think that the ‘Be the Change’ project materials provide a helpful framework for the Mentor?a. Very helpfulb. Helpfulc. Unhelpfuld. Very unhelpful

5. Do you think that the ‘Be the Change’ project materials provide a helpful framework for the NEET?a. Very helpfulb. Helpfulc. Unhelpfuld. Very unhelpful

6. What comments would you like to make that could help improve the effectiveness of the project? Please write your comments in the box below.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

41

ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR MENTEES Wave 1 - Before the training start

Please, answer the following questions about your demographic data, educational pathway, business and entrepreneurship meanings.

1. Self-assessment on preconditions

a How old are you? --------------------

b Please give your gender

1. Male □

2. Female □

c What is your highest level qualification? o No formal qualificationo Vocational qualificationo Secondary school o Post secondary school educationo First degreeo Master degree

d How long have you been unemployed or not at school?o Less than 3 monthso Less than 1 yearo 1 yearo More than 1 yearo 2 years or more

e If you are interested in starting a vocational training, a business, or finding a long term Job, which of the following job aspects would you view as positive?

o Please select as many as you want!o Independent workingo Possibility to create new thingso To be successfulo To do what interests meo To work flexible working hourso To utilize my abilities and talent in my work

f Would you accept the opinion of a mentor regarding any lack of knowledge? Why?1. Yes □0. No □

42

Because_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

g What do you think being a good business person means?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

h Could you describe a significant experience you are proud of?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

i Think of one person who was successful in life and work, what do you admire about him/her?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

l How could an Expert or Entrepreneur help you to start a vocational training, a business, or to find a long term Job?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for answering the above questions. Now we ask you to express your opinions regarding the statements below, indicating your degree of agreement with them. Read each statement carefully and indicate with a cross the number that best expresses your opinion. We also ask you to answer open questions in this document. There are no right or wrong answers. The best answer is the one that most closely matches your experience and your way of thinking. Thank you for your collaboration.

43

2. Self-assessment of learning capabilities

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 7 “I strongly agree” and 0 “I do not know”

I THINK I WILL BE …

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0

able to establish a relationship of mutual respect with the mentor

able to take full advantage of the e-learning platform to improve my Be the Change Training with mentors and on myself

able to find out more about my interests and aims in working life in carrying out the learning session with the mentors

able to show my needs and my competences to my mentor and learning group

able to collaborate with other mentees and mentors that I could meet during the training

able to fulfil my training activities and to respect the commitments undertaken, even in the presence of unforeseen urgencies

able to effectively deal with the problems I could find during the training

3. Self-assessment of know-how mobilization, acceptance and takeover

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 7 “I strongly agree” and 0 “I do not know”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0

I think I have things to learn from experts and mentors thanks their experience as entrepreneurs or persons with entrepreneurial skills

I am able to convey to older people what I can do

I believe that my experiences as a young person can be enriched by communication with entrepreneurs or persons with entrepreneurial skills

I believe that my expectance as a young person without experience and studies in entrepreneurial skills will be adequately appreciated by adults and older people

I believe that the skills of an entrepreneur or person with entrepreneurial skills can be exploited by generations like mine

I try to do my best to make experiences in generational exchange and learning

44

4. Self-assessment of entrepreneurial competences

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 4 “I strongly agree” and 0 “I do not know”

I CAN…

Entrepreneurial competences 1 2 3 4 0

1. I can set challenging goals for myself

2. I can generate creative ideas

3. I can work on a project

4. I can plan a project

5. I can identify and acquire resources

6. I can create new ways of doing things

7. I can think out of the box

8. I can recognize potential projects

9. I can overcome challenges

10. I can generate alternatives and opportunities

11. I am able to finish projects that I start

12. I can transform obstacles into resources

13. I can recognize my strengths

14. I have positive vision of the future

15. I can recognize my weakness

16. I can motivate others

17. I can build a team

18. I trust others in my team

19. I can lead others in my projects

20. I can get the best out of people

21. I can identify the strengths of a project

22. I am not easily destructed from my goals

23. I can take decisions

24. I am not afraid to try new things

25. I am determined

Source: Tessaro F., Baschiera B. (2016). The Intergenerational and Entrepreneurial Performance

45

5. On the basis of the above entrepreneurial competences, indicate when you have recently used at least 3 of them. To answer, you can use the following template (for example "I was able to motivate others that time ..."):

a) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

d) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

e) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Which of the above entrepreneurial competences would you like to improve?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

46

7. Which competence would you like to learn?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Which main benefits could arise from the training for you (for example general well-being, self-esteem, feeling useful, chances for finding a satisfying job, implementing the acquired knowledge in your next study or school, etc)?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OPTIONAL QUESTIONS

1. Well-being self-assessment

For each statement please indicate which best describes your experience over the last 2 weeks, choosing either:

5 All the time 4 Often 3 Some of the time 2 Rarely 1 None of the time 5

All t

he

time

4 O

ften

3 So

me

of

the

time

2 Ra

rely

1 N

one

of

the

time

a) I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future b) I’ve been feeling usefulc) I’ve been handling the stressd) I’ve been dealing with problems welle) I’ve been thinking clearly how to solve problemsf) I’ve been feeling close to other peopleg) I’ve been able to make up my own mind about things

2. Self-esteem self-assessment

47

For each statement indicate how much you agree or disagree, with a sign on one of the 4 options that follow each statement.

1. On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

2. At times I think I am no good at all.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

3. I feel that I have a number of good qualities.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

4. I am able to do things as well as most other people.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

5. I feel I do not have much to be proud of me.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

6. I certainly feel useless at times.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

7. I feel that I am a person of worth, at least on an equal level with others.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

8. I wish I could have more respect for myself.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

9. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

10. I take a positive attitude toward myself.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

3. Self-efficacy self-assessment

48

For each statement indicate how much you agree or disagree, following the criteria of the following table where 1 = “strongly disagree” and 4 = “strongly agree”.

1. I can solve difficult problems 1 2 3 4

2. If someone opposes me, I can find the way or the system to get what I want 1 2 3 4

3. For me it is easy to achieve my goals 1 2 3 4

4. I am confident I can cope with unexpected events efficiently 1 2 3 4

5. Thanks to my personal resources, I know how to handle unexpected situations 1 2 3 4

6. I can solve most problems thanks to the commitment that I put in it 1 2 3 4

7. I remain calm in dealing with difficulties because I can trust in my abilities 1 2 3 4

8. When faced with a problem, I usually find several solutions 1 2 3 4

9. Even in situations of "stalemate", I can always think of something to be implemented 1 2 3 4

10. Even in the face of failure, I do not give up 1 2 3 4

49

ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR MENTEESWave 2 - After the training

Please, answer the following questions about your demographic data, educational pathway, business and entrepreneurship meanings.

1. Self-assessment on preconditions

a How old are you? --------------------

b Please give your gender

3. Male □

4. Female □

c What is your highest level qualification? o No formal qualificationo Vocational qualificationo Secondary school o Post secondary school educationo First degreeo Master degree

d How long have you been unemployed or not at school?o Less than 3 monthso Less than 1 yearo 1 yearo More than 1 yearo 2 years or more

e If you are interested in starting a vocational training, a business, or finding a long term Job, which of the following job aspects would you view as positive?

o Please select as many as you want!

o Independent working

o Possibility to create new things

o To be successful

o To do what interests me

o To work flexible working hours

o To utilize my abilities and talent in my work

f Would you accept the opinion of a mentor regarding any lack of knowledge? Why?1. Yes □0. No □

50

Because_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

g What do you think being a good business person means?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

h Could you describe a significant experience you are proud of?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

i Think of one person who was successful in life and work, what do you admire about him/her?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

l How could an Expert or Entrepreneur help you to start a vocational training, a business, or to find a long term Job?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for answering the above questions. Now we ask you to express your opinions regarding the statements below, indicating your degree of agreement with them. Read each statement carefully and indicate with a cross the number that best expresses your opinion. We also ask you to answer open questions in this document. There are no right or wrong answers. The best answer is the one that most closely matches your experience and your way of thinking. Thank you for your collaboration.

51

2. Self-assessment of learning capabilities

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 7 “I strongly agree” and 0 “I do not know”

I THINK I WILL BE …

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0

able to establish a relationship of mutual respect with the mentor

able to take full advantage of the e-learning platform to improve my Be the Change Training with mentors and on myself

able to find out more about my interests and aims in working life in carrying out the learning session with the mentors

able to show my needs and my competences to my mentor and learning group

able to collaborate with other mentees and mentors that I could meet during the training

able to fulfil my training activities and to respect the commitments undertaken, even in the presence of unforeseen urgencies

able to effectively deal with the problems I could find during the training

3. Self-assessment of know-how mobilization, acceptance and takeover

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 7 “I strongly agree” and 0“I do not know”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0

I think I have things to learn from experts and mentors thanks their experience as entrepreneurs or persons with entrepreneurial skills

I am able to convey to older people what I can do

I believe that my experiences as a young person can be enriched by communication with entrepreneurs or persons with entrepreneurial skills

I believe that my expectance as a young person without experience and studies in entrepreneurial skills will be adequately appreciated by adults and older people

I believe that the skills of an entrepreneur or person with entrepreneurial skills can be exploited by generations like mine

I try to do my best to make experiences in generational exchange and learning

4. Self-assessment of entrepreneurial competences

52

Please tick one option for every statements by choosing from 1 “I strongly disagree” to 4 “I strongly agree” and 0“I do not know”

I CAN…

Entrepreneurial competences 1 2 3 4 0

1. I can set challenging goals for myself

2. I can generate creative ideas

3. I can work on a project

4. I can plan a project

5. I can identify and acquire resources

6.I can create new ways of doing things

7. I can think out of the box

8. I can recognize potential projects

9. I can overcome challenges

10. I can generate alternatives and opportunities

11. I am able to finish projects that I start

12. I can transform obstacles into resources

13. I can recognize my strengths

14. I have positive vision of the future

15. I can recognize my weakness

16. I can motivate others

17. I can build a team

18. I trust others in my team

19. I can lead others in my projects

20. I can get the best out of people

21. I can identify the strengths of a project

22. I am not easily destructed from my goals

23. I can take decisions

24. I am not afraid to try new things

25. I am determined

Source: Tessaro F., Baschiera B. (2016). The Intergenerational and Entrepreneurial Performance

53

5. On the basis of the above entrepreneurial competences, indicate when you have recently used at least 3 of them. To answer, you can use the following template (for example "I was able to motivate others that time ..."):

f) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

g) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

h) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

i) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

j) I____________________________________________________________

That time…. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Which of the above entrepreneurial competences would you like to refine further?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

54

7. Which main benefits arose from the training for you (for example general well-being, self-esteem, feeling useful, chances for finding a satisfying job, implementing the acquired knowledge in your next study or school, etc)?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OPTIONAL QUESTIONS

1. Well-being self-assessment

For each statement please indicate which best describes your experience over the last 2 weeks, choosing either:

5 All the time 4 Often 3 Some of the time 2 Rarely 1 None of the time 5

All t

he

time

4 O

ften

3 So

me

of

the

time

2 Ra

rely

1 N

one

of

the

time

a) I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future

b) I’ve been feeling useful

c) I’ve been handling the stress

d) I’ve been dealing with problems well

e) I’ve been thinking clearly how to solve problems

f) I’ve been feeling close to other people

g) I’ve been able to make up my own mind about things

55

2. Self-esteem self-assessment

For each statement indicate how much you agree or disagree, with a sign on one of the 4 options that follow each statement.

1. On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

2. At times I think I am no good at all.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

3. I feel that I have a number of good qualities.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

4. I am able to do things as well as most other people.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

5. I feel I do not have much to be proud of me.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

6. I certainly feel useless at times.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

7. I feel that I am a person of worth, at least on an equal level with others.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

8. I wish I could have more respect for myself.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

9. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

10. I take a positive attitude toward myself.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

56

3. Self-efficacy self-assessment

For each statement indicate how much you agree or disagree, following the criteria of the following table where 1 = “strongly disagree” and 4 = “strongly agree”.

1. I can solve difficult problems 1 2 3 4

2. If someone opposes me, I can find the way or the system to get what I want 1 2 3 4

3. For me it is easy to achieve my goals 1 2 3 4

4. I am confident I can cope with unexpected events efficiently 1 2 3 4

5. Thanks to my personal resources, I know how to handle unexpected situations 1 2 3 4

6. I can solve most problems thanks to the commitment that I put in it 1 2 3 4

7. I remain calm in dealing with difficulties because I can trust in my abilities 1 2 3 4

8. When faced with a problem, I usually find several solutions 1 2 3 4

9. Even in situations of "stalemate", I can always think of something to be implemented 1 2 3 4

10. Even in the face of failure, I do not give up 1 2 3 4

57