LEAD : LEarning And Development in micro and small enterprises

Le projet de Partenariat « LEAD », porté par la Budapest Business School, et dont l’Université Paris Nanterre est partenaire a pour but de faire reconnaître les besoins spécifiques des TPE-PME en matière de formation et de développement de la formation au sein de leurs équipes. Un manuel et du matériel pédagogique seront développés en ce sens, et testés lors de formations pilotes.
Au niveau de l’UPN, ce projet est coordonné par Madame la Professeure Céline Barrédy.
- Description :

• Outre le coordinateur et l’UPN, les autres partenaires sont :
• L’Université Technologique de Tallinn (Estonie)
• L’Université d'Economie et de Commerce de Wroclaw (Pologne)
• L’Université catholique portugaise
• CEPOR - SMEs & Entrepreneurship Policy Centre (association croate)
• ADINVEST Europe (association belge)

 
Le projet bénéficie d’un financement Erasmus à hauteur de 318 514€, dont 57 976 pour l’UPN, sur 30 mois entre novembre 2021 et avril 2024.
Il permettra la création de plusieurs productions : (1) une étude préparatoire pour l'orientation du développement du matériel de formation, (2) un manuel de formation, (3) du matériel pédagogique.
 
Le guide élaborée, pratique et facile d'accès pour les propriétaires/gestionnaires de TPE-PME d'une part et pour les conseillers externes, appelés parfois Business Coaches, d'autre part, sera la principale réalisation. L'objectif principal est de fusionner les résultats des études préparatoires et de les transformer en programmes de formation adaptés respectivement au groupe cible des étudiants et celui des propriétaires/gestionnaires/conseillers de TPE-PME.
La maîtrise corroborée des partenaires universitaires dans le développement de cours en ligne permettra de produire des enseignements principalement en ligne. Le présentiel ne sera utilisé que ponctuellement pour le groupe cible professionnel.
Le partage des résultats avec d'autres universités, établissements de formation et institutions de pays non partenaires sera facilité par la reconnaissance européenne des cours universitaires (ECTS), tandis que les cours à destination des professionnels seront soumis aux autorités nationales ou régionales en matière de qualification professionnelle.
Un autre résultat important du projet devra être la formulation d’un certain nombre de recommandations aux décideurs en matière de formation dans les pays partenaires, en soulignant la possibilité et la nécessité de leurs interventions pour faciliter le développement des ressources humaines dans le secteur des TPE-PME.
 
- Site Internet : https://www.lead-mse-project.eu
 

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission – ERASMUS+ Programme, Cooperation partnerships, Vocational education and training
Project reference number: 2021-1-HU01-KA220-VET-000033052
Project duration: 01.11.2021 – 30.04.2023
Grant received: 318 514 EUR
 
Projects members :

• Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary – Co-ordinator
• Universidate Catolica Potuguesa - Portuguese Catholic University, Porto, Portugal
• Tallin University of Technology, Tallin, Estonia
• Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Wrocław, Poland
• CEPOR - Centar za politiku razvoja malih i srednjih poduzeća i poduzetništva, Zagreb, Croatia
• ADINVEST Europe, Brussels, Belgium

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

Rationale

Experience shows that further training of the owners/managers as well as the employees is key factor of the successful development of the companies. A large majority of medium size firms has a history of formal and/or non-formal training whilst small businesses (employing 10-49 people) don’t. Even more striking is the difference as to the micro companies (up to 9 employees) which show a lack of propensity to subdue themselves to trainings let it be external or internal (work-based) training let alone the acceptance of external advising. The partners’ experience and intensive preparatory research pointed out that these two target groups (Micro and Small Enterprises, MSEs) suffer from a major supply/demand side failure in training offering and also in pedagogical approaches to motivate owners/managers to consider the advantages of a predefined retraining scheme or vision for the company. The partnership scrutinized in depth the literature and also the projects on the list of EPRP and the outcome was clear: a major need of MSEs was discovered and the idea to fill the gaps through a project like LEAD is a new initiative in the entrepreneurial milieu.
 

The objectives of the LEAD project

The aim of the project is to facilitate the effective transformation of the learning ecosystems around MSEs in the participating countries. In order to achieve this goal, the project straightforwardly addresses the improvement of such Human Resource Development activities that directly and indirectly promote learning capability of the target group, both at the management and the employee level.
To make changes in the entrepreneurial and managerial orientations and attitudes of the MSE owners/managers in favour of better adjustment to external changes via continuous learning and development.
To foster both organizational- and employee-level learning by combining existing and new knowledge on MSE learning needs and practices with both traditional and innovative teaching content and methodology, relying on the intensive use of digital platforms, means and procedures.
In summing up, the project partners would like to create a research-based training curriculum to support small and micro business entrepreneurs in creating advanced Human Resource Management (HRM) practices based on a development-oriented leadership attitude. In our understanding the double target group (MSE owners) will benefit of the project and its results by incorporating such core methodological and social competencies that foster both individual and collective learning at the company level. The improvement of development-oriented HRM practices will lead to satisfied workers, increased commitment and more balanced productivity. To justify the validity of this achievement pilot trainings are planned where success and efficiency will be measured by different qualitative and quantitative indicators. One major goal the project strives to achieve is to disseminate the achievements in the European entrepreneurial area through a robust sharing plan.
 

Main results and outputs of the project/research

Research

• National and comparative analysis of training and development practices of MSEs
• Practical Handbook for MSE owners

Training material development

• Evidence-based training materials – 4*8 hour long training materials (50% e-learning and 50% face-to-face)

Dissemination events

• Pilot trainings for MSE owners
• Dissemination materials – project flyer, website
• Multiplier events – workshops and conference in 5 countries (Hungary, Portugal, France, Croatia and Poland)

Others

Website: https://www.lead-mse-project.eu