The new generation of entrepreneurs

“The marketing lessons were amazing…. a new world has opened up to me!”.  Nicoleta is 22 years old, from the Republic of Moldova – she has a business partner, Daniela, also in her twenties and Moldavian. Together they want to create a virtual platform in which they can sell internationally handmade products that reflect the culture of their country.

The two of them participated in the Collaborative Entrepreneurial Education project, an initiative funded by the ENI CBC Romania – Rep. of Moldova Programme, training students to develop the necessary skills to start a business in the sector of textile and graphic design.

200 students from Chișinău (the Republic of Moldova) and Iași (Romania) have taken part in an entrepreneurial education programme. 18 months of intense training, including a BOOTCAMP where students from both sides of the Prut river learnt all the secrets behind a successful business. Marketing skills, critical thinking, drafting a business plan, managing risks or the ABC of finance to finally kick off the project.

The students from the technical universities of Chișinău and Iași visited each other to exchange good practices, they made a tour to several textile companies and got acquainted with the day-to-day of a business. The participants and trainers have created a network of friendship and professional exchanges to keep in touch for advice and future opportunities.

The #ENICBC project has also shed the light on the need to introduce entrepreneurial skills training in the university curriculum, both in economic and non-economic faculties. So far, it has created a database with all the companies from the two countries that participate in the project. This will facilitate connections between the academic and private sectors and ultimately provide employment and training opportunities to the future generation of motivated entrepreneurs.

#Youth4Cooperation #EYY