Integrating the Practice Enterprise Concept in Portugal
The project “Practice@Business” was born from a consortium between the Portuguese organization OIKOS, PEN Worldwide and Fundació Inform Spain, in order to transfer the Practice Enterprise methodology to Portugal, and to create, evaluate and disseminate a new pedagogical model based on this methodology, adapt it to the country’s reality as well as, in particular, to working with young NEET (young people not in employment, education or training).
The need for this intervention was felt when, under a project to train young NEET for employment, OIKOS became aware of the existence and the success of this methodology, but was confronted with its inapplicability in the country.
Taking as target groups the young Portuguese people:
- The Practice Enterprise methodology has been transferred to the Portuguese organization OIKOS, which, will not only use it in future projects directed to young people, especially to young NEET with obvious benefits for them, but also to create a national central office of Practice Enterprises to support the establishment of new Practice Enterprises by other Portuguese organizations;
- The creation of a new pedagogical model based on this methodology and adapted to the Portuguese reality and the specific training of young NEET has been created, tested and evaluated, through the setting up of a Practice Enterprise with a pilot group of young NEETs, with clear benefits in their employability, and with impact in the knowledge gathered about the potential of application of the methodology;
- The Practice Enterprise methodology and the new pedagogical model adapted to the Portuguese reality have been disseminated, reaching many organizations working with young people in Portugal, through the preparation, presentation and online dissemination of a “Guide to the implementation of Practice Enterprises methodology with young people in Portugal,” with impact in the future mobilization of these technicians to transfer this methodology to their own organizations and to use it with the young people with whom they work.
