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Empowering entrepreneurial skills and unleashing potential of unemployed seniors.
Start date: Sep 1, 2014, End date: Aug 31, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Unemployment is one of the biggest challenges that Europe is facing in the context of economic crisis in which we are submerged. One of the most affected groups of population suffering from unemployment is senior workers. People over 50 are generally characterised by the acquired knowledge and extensive professional experience but, at the same time, face huge difficulties to re-enter the labour market. According to Eurostat, more than 9% of the 23,000 million individuals affected by unemployment in 2011 were over 55 years old. Most of mature unemployed are often not aware of the possibility of creating their own businesses by exploiting their many years of experience and acquired knowledge. To become entrepreneurs they need to acquire proper business skills and competences on entrepreneurial development. Older people that are interested in self-employment may have spent their entire careers in paid employment which gives them a lot of experience and a certain skill-set, but this may not be enough to ensure success in self-employment, since it requires a broader set of skills that includes opportunity recognition as well as a broad set of business expertise. Hence, one of the responses to moving people back into work is through business creation and self-employment, which is a key outcome, sought from inclusive entrepreneurship policies. In fact, Europe2020 strategy recognises entrepreneurship and self-employment as key elements for achieving smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. MYBUSINESS project aims to foster the labor market reintegration of senior unemployed by empowering education and training to create their own business and develop their entrepreneurial skills and spirit. To this purpose, the project shall create and test a customised action programme tailored to unemployed seniors interested in becoming self-employed or entrepreneur, on the basis on their own identified needs and barriers, strengthening their entrepreneurial skills and competences while taking advantage of their experience and promoting self-confidence, contributing not only to the creation of new jobs, but also addressing wider social and economic challenges related to aging population. Apart from tailor made training and mentoring modules (including learning outcomes), the Action Programme also include policy recommendations and cases studies. The project will also achieve following results: • A Transnational Report of the needs of unemployed seniors to become self-employed or entrepreneurs. • Six individual analyses on target groups’ needs. • At least 90 interviews with the target group and 12 focus groups. • 6 regional assessment teams (at least 48 members). • Six multiplier events. • 3 training and mentoring courses (30-45 beneficiaries). • An effective dissemination strategy, encompassing: - A networking of complementary stakeholder, initiatives and partners (150 members) - One project website and connection to social networks. - Full media coverage via the release of press notes and the organisation of press conferences. - Project logo and project brochure translated in all partner languages. Unemployed seniors will be the main beneficiaries of the project intellectual outcomes. They will benefit from the outputs, especially from the Senior Entrepreneur Action Programme. This programme will be designed taking into account their own identified needs, since target group will participate in the analysis of potential barriers faced to business creation and self-employment and the identification of training needs. The Action Programme will be designed to be useful at European level, so project beneficiaries will not be limited to partner’s territories. Other groups benefited from the project include regional public institutions in the field of employment and entrepreneurship, organisations aimed to promote entrepreneurship, coaching and mentoring experts, trainers, social services, business centers and incubators, decision makers, etc. The partnership has been built on the basis of three pillars: technical capacity, communication skills and networking and geographical balance, gathering experienced organisations in entrepreneurship, employment research and social innovation and as well as wide experience in management of transnational cooperation projects at European Level. The project consortium is formed by public and private institutions from six European countries (Romania, Ireland, Belgium, Greece, Spain and Austria). MYBUSINESS project expects to increase the managerial and entrepreneurial skills of senior unemployed, giving them confidence and providing them with the tools to create their own business, and, eventually, to promote healthy aging, active citizenship, lifelong learning, employability and social inclusion. In addition, the project expects to create a good environment for business creation by connecting relevant stakeholders and offering solutions to policy-makers.
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