Self-leadership per la crescita sostenibile delle PMI europee: potenziare le competenze tecniche e imprenditoriali allenando consapevolezza ed empatia.

"<< Background >>The EU-leadS project has successfully pursued the aim of exploring, systematizing, and testing virtuous practices and approaches in the field of entrepreneurial self-leadership, filling an existing gap in cutting-edge continuous professional development programs for holistic entrepreneurial development. The initiative was born out of needs identified in the face of the economic and financial crisis of the past decade, and further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. These events have made it increasingly urgent to change the paradigm in the European labor market and skills landscape. The goal is to ensure that the resilience and sustainable development of enterprises are fostered not only through adequate and periodically updated technical skills, but also through essential transversal components for individual psycho-physical well-being, sustainable relationships, and, therefore, conducive to good business performance. This approach has been synthesized in the document ""Elements of Self-Leadership"" as well as the other project results.<< Objectives >>In line with the Council Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning, the project was implemented with the aim of:- Supporting providers of Continuous Vocational Education and Training in building a CVET (Continuing Vocational Education and Training) path that promotes the systematic integration of key and transversal competences alongside the development of the necessary technical skills for starting and developing businesses;- Facilitating, through the profile and network of stakeholders activated by the project partnership, greater permeability between disciplines, levels, and sectors of education to promote the professional development of CVET trainers engaged in entrepreneurship and corporate well-being topics, and strengthening collaboration between businesses, CVET providers, and other stakeholders;- Increasing the attractiveness of CVET and enhancing the accessibility of training initiatives promoted by the Erasmus+ program to learners facing disadvantages related to geographical factors (particularly those from rural and remote areas), limited English language proficiency, and physical disabilities.<< Implementation >>The project started with the identification and collection of 15 virtuous practices and the conduction of 13 interviews with trainers and entrepreneurs aimed at providing an overview of the approach to continuous professional development from a self-leadership perspective within European SMEs. This process, materialized in the form of a multilingual ""Compendium,"" led to the development of an integrated training program, at the core of a transnational learning mobility held in Spain on aspects and techniques of entrepreneurial self-leadership, involving 20 learners. Subsequently, the same program was tested through national pilots, which altogether engaged 165 participants in Italy, Spain, and Latvia. The results of these pilots were summarized in a synthesis document (""Guidelines"") useful for replicating and transferring the approach to different national contexts than those directly involved in the initiative. The experience was sealed with an international multiplier event held in Italy, attended by 40 sectoral experts who discussed the achieved results, lessons learned, and outlined the foundations for future development trajectories under new European project.<< Results >>Under the Activity1, the consortium developed 1 Compendium gathering inspiring practices, tools and testimonies on the subject of entrepreneurial self-leadership, available in 4 languages (EN, IT, ES, LV). Virtuous practices collected: 15 (baseline: 12); interviews conducted: 13 (baseline: 12).In the frame of the second Activity, a 3-days Transnational training in Spain has been held on the components and methods of entrepreneurial self-leadership involving tot. 20 participants (education experts and entrepreneurs – baseline: 16). One document, “Guidelines”, supporting the replication of the learning approach, and in particular the national pilots in the form of train-the-trainer sessions organised in Italy, Spain, Latvia, gathering tot. 165 participants. This experience’s lessons learned have been synthesised in a Report of Lessons learned, entitled ""Elements of Self-leadership“.Under Activity 3, 1 Multiplier event has been organised in Pescara (Italy), gathering 40 participants (education experts and entrepreneurs). On the following day, the Final TPM has been organised in Pescara as well, gathering tot. 8 participants who came up with a follow up proposal to be submitted under the upcoming Erasmus+ call 2024."