At TON Foundation, trainings at national and local level have identified a need for personal and professional development of women through entrepreneurship. Our group of women live and work in rural or small urban areas where jobs are not available, and because of this they become excluded from the socio-economic life of their communities. In this social context, specific to rural and small urban areas, FORWARD’s Training Course can work as a local resource and a tool for personal and professional empowerment and development. The focus on entrepreneurship skills and competences through crafts contributes for community development of Romanian localities, aligning with the main goals and activities of the TON Foundation.

Description

The “Training Course Women entrepreneurship; development through CRAFTS” was divided into four work phases:

• Phase 1: Information – The First working session was centred on the presentation of the project; definition of activities; training goals and definition of calendar dates for joint and individual sessions.
• Phase 2: Practical workshops – The second phase was divided into two practical workshops: firstly, the participants learned how to mould natural materials, being introduced to, for instance, how to make soap with local natural resources such as lavender and aromatic oils. Finally, the participants will learn how to make hard moulds from materials such as plaster to develop Christmas themed crafts.
• Phase 3: Prospecting the craft market – In this phase, meetings between the participants and the trainers were organised, as well as visits to Christmas fairs with the purpose of analysing local crafts markets and its relationship with sustainable economy and female entrepreneurship in the crafts sector. This phase was finalised after a joint meeting with the participants and trainers in a group-work format to discuss the feedback related to market prospects.
• Phase 4: Development of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Plans through Crafts

Timeline

The selection of the participants took place in November 2022.

The Training Course was divided in four phases, between November 2022 and March 2023. A first phase, where information about the Training Course was shared with the workgroup, took place in November 2022; followed by the second phase, which consisted of two practical workshops. In December 2022, the third phase, Prospecting the Crafts Market took place, alongside the Joint Meeting with the workgroup. The final phase was divided in two sessions: Women’s Entrepreneurship Plans through Crafts (in January 2023) and Mentoring Individual Entrepreneurship Plans through Crafts (between February and March 2023).

Lastly, the Monitoring and Evaluation occured in April 2023.
The total training hours for each participant was 60, and the total hours for the trainer was 136 (multiplied by two trainers).

Location

The Group sessions was held at the stakeholder training space, with an area of 55 m2. The space was equipped with furniture, the required tools for practical trainings and logistical equipment for theoretical training. The Individual mentoring sessions was carried out online to develop the participants’ digital skills.

Expected results and outcomes

The expected results and outcomes of Forward Training Course Women entrepreneurship: development through CRAFTS were:

• A FORWARD training pack, including tools used in the Training Course as well as the Training Course support (in Romanian and English);
• Minimum of 10 women with high craft skills;
• Minimum of 10 individualised entrepreneurial development plans made by the women participating in the training;
• A team of three trainers able to multiply the training at national level;
• Three trainers with increased teaching skills – through the implementation of FORWARD training;
• A management team with increased ability to work collaboratively at international level.