THE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT

TARGET GROUPS

The School-Based Enterprise (SBE) concept is tailored to the requirements of the business environment. It is a proven model for practical business and entrepreneurship training that helps trainees to overcome the challenges of the labour market and competitive economy by putting their skills into action. The standardized SBE methodology can be easily adapted to suit different ages, groups, abilities and can take place as in-person training, digitally or as a hybrid option. 

HIGH SCHOOLS
School -Based Enterprises reinforce academic skills and achievements, reignite interest in education, and raise student desire for self-development and the pursuit of lifelong learning. Students are actively involved in the learning process and decision-making activities, increasing student motivation, initiative, creativity and responsibility. Learning is experienced as a natural process, primarily through interaction. Students can try out different jobs and tasks and see where their career could take them. In addition to its academic benefits, a SBE also serves to enhance quality of life and increase student mobility by promoting intercultural learning and the respect of diversity. Through their interactions with secondary students in other countries, they are much better equipped to adapt and cope to today’s fast-changing world and learn to effectively handle new situations. 

VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL TRAINING
The majority of SBE’s worldwide are in VET schools and institutions. When the acquisition of knowledge and skills is complemented by the acquisition of experience, then a change in behavior occurs. This change in behavior forms the essence of the learning process and is vital when work begins in a real company. Trainees gain real-world work experience. This includes experience of the practical aspects of work and of working together in a group. Learning in a simulated situation gives trainees the opportunity to experience real events while allowing them to make mistakes and to learn from these mistakes. In SBE’s trainees are encouraged to take on leadership roles in their businesses. Empowering in this way and facilitating access to relevant and transferable training provides access to better jobs, as well as real-world experience that can be applied to a CV. 

JOB SEEKERS
School-Based Enterprises work by complementing actual employment experience and providing enhanced employment prospects by helping participants to learn, develop and increase their range of professional skills and to update their real-world working knowledge. It is the ideal forum to improve soft, professional and technical skills in job seekers. SBE’s also provide a real-world environment that can train commerce and business skills far more clearly and intensively than is the case in most companies nowadays. The placement rates for job seekers completing a SBE program can be as high as 85% in using the concept to reintegrate job seekers into the labour market, due to its real-world skills acquisition and methodology that matches the real business world. 

SPECIAL NEED YOUTH
The SBE’s provides an ideal learning environment, where participants can work at their own pace and progress at the rate they are capable of. Learning in a simulated situation gives participants the opportunity to experience real events while allowing them to make mistakes and to learn from these mistakes without prejudice. The SBE empowers participants and gives access to training that may not be available via conventional methods. The concept enhances the quality of life for disabled and disadvantaged groups by affording them an opportunity for real-world skills acquisition and increased access to the labour market through the SBE network of mentor companies and business partners. There is also the possibility of distance learning, opening avenues for education not available in conventional learning environments. 

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS AND INNOVATORS
The SBE is the ideal forum for young innovators and entrepreneurship training. Trainees can put their business knowledge to the test, try out new concepts, develop and implement their business plan, experience the different departments and roles in a business and get a first-hand chance to create a budget and manage finances, in an environment with limited risks. Practice Enterprises destined for entrepreneurs can be in an incubator format or combined with other target groups such as unemployed or university students. The SBE learning-by-doing concept aims at simulating the entrepreneurial spirit and contributes to business skills development and entrepreneurial self-confidence and competence. 

KEY PLAYERS
THE TRAINEES
In a SBE environment, the trainees are the ‘employees’ and ‘managers’ of their business. They work in teams undertaking the tasks required by a particular SBE department, such as Finance and Purchasing, Administration, Human Relations, and Sales and Marketing. Once they have been inducted into their business, they spend time in each department, or in one targeted department. They learn the business procedures, tasks and skills required to ensure their business is viable. Like real employees, they not only demonstrate their ability to complete a wide range of tasks, but they also learn the importance of teamwork, business communication, goal setting, business planning, time management, and the numerous skills required to improve employability. 

THE TRAINERS
Trainers in the School-based Enterprise adopt the role of a workplace facilitator, coach or mentor. The trainer facilitates all the SBE activities: motivating, challenging and supporting the trainees as they take on roles and responsibilities that are often very different from their usual learning activities. Initially the trainer will take a strong role in directing and structuring the SBE activities. However, as the trainees gain more confidence, the trainer slips into a facilitator role. Trainees work in groups under the general supervision of the trainer while also taking responsibility for their own learning, development and business tasks.
Trainers involved in the SBE receive guidelines and practical handbooks to run the SBE with all relevant business procedures and to evaluate the trainees based on the same set of evaluation criteria. 

THE TRADEMORE PLATFORM- CENTRAL OFFICE
The Trademore platform acts as a Central Office, with its staff providing all essential macro-economic functions and support operations which are expected to be available to the businesses on the platform. This includes offering some of the commercial and regulatory services which are expected to be accessible to the business world. The Central Office is also responsible for training trainers.

WHAT MAKES THE TRAINING CONCEPT STAND OUT
Real-life international business experience: Through their commerce and trade across industries, borders and cultures, trainees develop hands-on knowledge of the expectations of both the workplace and the economy in their own country as well as internationally. This real-life business experience enables trainees to experience how strategies diverge from one country to another in language, culture, legal environment and a multitude of other influencing factors.

Mentors from business sectors: A Business Mentor is a key support in developing and conducting the business activities. The mentor brings the real business world into the Practice Enterprise, advising the trainer and trainees about current workplace practices and processes. They may help interview the students for their team or position within the company, suggest ways to promote their products effectively, or help them determine suitable organisational arrangements to suit their product range.

Digital competences: School-based Enterprises trading makes use of software and online tools for accounting, banking, taxes, shipping and excise. As a result, trainees become familiar with the use of technology for business activities and simultaneously develop their IT skills.