ECO NET
Developments since 2001
ECO NET – Promotion of Training Firms in South Eastern Europe
Education for Future Business Partners in a Common Europe -
Learning and Working Together
Duration:
ECO NET started in January 2001 as a project within the framework of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. The education project was financed by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs and implemented by KulturKontakt Austria together with the k.education project offices Bucharest, Sofia and Tirana.
It was concluded in June 2002 with a conference in Austria, at which it was decided that the activities which had been commenced would be extended within the "framework programme ECO NET".
Target countries:
The education ministries of Albania, Bulgaria and Romania participated in ECO NET be-tween 2001 and 2002. A partnership network between 3 Albanian, 5 Bulgarian and 3 Roma-nian economics high schools was created.
Activities:
The main focus of the project was on the establishment and expansion of training firms in the three countries involved, in the course of which schools and central institutions received new technical equipment.
Within the framework of training firms work in schools, national and international trading rela-tions were established and training firm fairs were held.
In several seminars, teachers, headteachers and decision makers were trained in the areas of project- and quality management, business communications, key qualifications and special topics related to training firms work. In the course of this, the exchange and passing on of know-how already present in the region was particularly important.
What we have achieved together:
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The establishment of national, centrally-coordinated training firm networks in Al-bania, Bulgaria and Romania
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The introduction of skills- and practice-orientated teaching methods at the eleven pilot schools
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The equipping of ECO NET pilot schools with the infrastructure necessary for training firms work
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In-service training in new teaching contents and methods for over 200
educational experts
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The development of new student-centred teaching materials
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The networking of 68 training firms in Albania, Bulgaria and Romania
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The extension of cross-border trade between training firms
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The organisation of training firm fairs as a platform for direct contacts
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International networking via the website www.econet-see.com
The results in detail:
In the short duration of the project (one and a half years), a network of 3 central offices and 68 training firms - some of which were new starts - was set up. All of them can be contacted by e-mail. Information about the products and services of the training firms can be viewed via the training firms' websites, which were developed during the project (see "ECO NET training firms" for the addresses).
The participation of the training firms in the Comnet international webshop for training firms http://www.comnet-project.com was also facilitated.
Information about the differing business practices in the project countries was exchanged, agreements were made on carrying out regional trade, teaching methods were compared and differences recognised. The documents can be viewed at "Downloads".
According to the starting point of the training firm networks, courses in a modular system were offered and held on subjects from the founding of training firms to quality management for advanced training firms.
The Bulgarian training firm managers with most experience in the field of training companies (training firms have been well established in Bulgaria since the mid-nineties) developed teaching materials and information on the subject area of "entrepreneurship and training firms" under the guidance of a local expert.
Two Romanian pilot scheme schools received basic equipment for the operation of training firm offices. The Romanian centre ROCT and the training firms were only established during the project and started work in September 2001.
The training of communication- and sales techniques, courses in presentation techniques as well as an introduction to project management have equipped the training firm managers and language teachers with the key qualifications which are required for networking and which enable them to carry out these courses with their pupils.
The preparation and planning for the holding of trade fairs culminated in two national trade fairs: the training firm fair in Tirana and the training firm fair in Drobeta Turnu Severin, both in April 2002, and the regional training firm fair in Sofia in May 2002, in which not only training companies from the three countries Albania, Bulgaria and Romania participated, but also ones from Macedonia and Austria.
Within the framework of the final conference, training firms with other target groups (e.g. adult education) were also presented.
A parallel seminar programme "Management & Leadership", with the main focus on school development and project management, created the conditions required for the implementa-tion of school networking and cooperation at the school administration level.
With this regional network in South Eastern Europe, the first of its kind, a basis was laid for a further dissemination of the training firm concept at national and regional levels and for fur-ther cooperation in the region.
Further documentation about seminar materials and results are available from "Downloads".
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