Life Management
14th December 2015
Tag list
Location / Country / Region
The Netherlands (but the programme will be developed for Europe)
Time frame
The development of the method started in 2014. At the moment the modules are fine-tuned, based on further experiments in 2016.
Short description
Life Management is a method to help people to be more aware of their entrepreneurial skills, to start looking for more opportunities (in risk of losing a job, to be in poverty and other difficult situations) to change their lives. It starts with a personal scan, to learn more about their current competences – followed by three modules about starting up an own business. But they are also linked to personal competences, to ‘survive’.
It has shown that people having such a training, and having possibilities to be entrepreneurial, have less risk to be dependent of ‘the government’ and social benefits.
Actors Involved
The method is developed by E*BCL Europe, but most of the work has been done in the recent period by the Dutch part of this network.
The method can be offered by institutions for VET of HE, but also by private institutions.
One of the ideas is to use this method for people in risk for poverty. The social services can decide about this, having a budget for this activity.
Target audiences
The main target group are people in risk for serious poverty, having skills for setting up a business, but in need for more competences to do it on their own.
Relevant links, websites, etc.
BACKGROUND
Links with the European Framework
After having finished the whole method, it will be linked to the Dutch Framework, and in this way indirectly to the EQF.
Links with national / regional priorities
The method will be part of the discussion in the Netherlands about poverty and to help people to change their life. In 2016 it will be part of a workshop, organized by the Dutch government (as part of the Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2016)
Political and Economic dimensions
The method can be used by Departments for Social Affairs, in municipalities, as part of a strategy for LLL (for this specific group). People having social benefits now, but are being helped to start a business, will save money for the government – and the income for households will be higher.
1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
See the website of EBCL Netherlands.
In short:
- Start with a scan, looking at competences for being more entrepreneurial
- Then part 1 for personal competences
- Part 2 for start-up a business, basic competences
- Part3 for more knowledge and skills
2. ANALYSIS
Innovativeness
The method is new, with a focus on a specific group of people. The municipalities in the Netherlands are now responsible for their citizens, and they need innovative instruments to help them. Life Management is one of them.
Key success factors
The most important are:
- Tailor-made
- Relatively cheap
- Multiple aspects (social, economic, business…)
Contributions to LLL Policy
The Life Management Method will be in the future, we think, one of the most important aspect of a nationwide strategy. At the moment the ministry of Social Affairs is interested, to combine it with other instruments (education and social measurements) and municipalities are experimenting already with having people in poverty in a learning pathway to be an entrepreneur, in combination with having still social benefits for a certain period.
What could be appropriated by others?
This method will be developed for other countries. So, this means that other governments can use it also for their national (and regional) strategy and approach.
3. Lessons Learnt
Regarding the building of a shared definition of LLL in LLL-Hub
For this target group of LL-learners the method can be part of a European approach. That is important, knowing that the economy is also depending of international activities in doing business.
Regarding the key actors, their roles and activities in LLL
As mentioned people with entrepreneurial competences have less risk to be in poverty and social exclusion. This method will keep them ‘on board’, having also their ‘own lessons learnt’.