The commerce sector is a major driver of the European economy. Six milion companies, 99% of which are SMEs and micro-enterprises, operate in retail and wholesale. It is often an entry point into the labour market; more than 20% Europeans aged 15-25 worked in the sector in 2012.
Franchising has proven to promote the creation of enterprises and small-business ownership (Vector for economic growth in EU,2011); The share of employment in these enterprises is 10.8% Italy, Spain and Poland are among countries wher franchize systems are the most numerous (research by European Franchize Federation).
Currently 32 % of all retail employees including managers are unskilled or semi-skilled. 15 % of all workers in the retail sector are under 24-years old, (EU Retail Action Plan, Com (2013) 36). The major challenge is the mismatch between the skills needed by companies and those of Staff in the retail sector.
The EU system of continuous VET for Retail networks lack efficient and effective training tools. Board games have been used for in-corporate settings for about ten years, but are not yet in broad use. Value and impact of board games designed for learning are unrecognized. The view that games are inappropriate for adults is held by many business executives who see their activities as serious and don’t understand the power of play and entertainment in learning. A major challenge in any education is to keep the learner’s attention.
Project aim and specific goals:
The aim of the project is to facilitate levelling mismatches between labour force skills and the skill needs of the retail sector, through enhancing quality and relevance of continuing vocational education and training (CVET) offer for retail networks in 3 partner’s countries.
– Improve capabilities of 30 people working in organizations offering training services for retail sector by teaching them how to use new teaching methodology.
– Increase attractiveness of trainings for retail sector by providing at least retail networks or/and training organizations with new board-game based training methodology and tools linking education and entertainment, introducing elements of „learning by experience”, flip-teaching and learner-oriented approaches.
– Facilitating increase of entrepreneurial approach and improvement of managerial competences specific for running business in retail networks (agency, franchise), through development of comprehensive training programmes and learning materials involving ICT.
– Increase labour market relevance of learning provision through applying min. real 250 business-cases and good practices in the learning process (game simulation of real situations) as well as involvement of important business actors from commerce sector in development of methodology and learning materials.
– Raising awareness among at least 170 retail networks and/or VET providers on effectiveness of the proposed game-based training methodology and related tools in levelling mismatches between skills needs of retail sector and of potential entrepreneurs.
Name of the project: PLAY COMMERCE –Game based training for better management in retail networks
Programme: Erasmus +
Key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices
Project partners: HDS POLSKA -Poland; ORANGE HILL –Poland; HOMINEM -Spain; CONFOCOMERCIO – Italy
Duration of the project: 2 years (September 2014 – August 2016)
