CONTEXT The Skills SETS partnership is a knowledge exchange network of organisations, practitioner, experts and policy makers working in training and business support for the development entrepreneurial skills for the voluntary and community sector within the UK, Estonia, Italy, and Spain. AIM The overall aim of the project partnership is to develop and disseminate knowledge and ‘market intelligence’ that will provide resources for third sector organisations within the EU that are adopting – through choice, necessity, or both – more enterprising working practices and an entrepreneurial organisational culture. OBJECTIVES Key project objectives include: 1) Assessing the availability of formal VET learning opportunities relating to enterprise and entrepreneurialism for individuals and organisations within the third sector 2) Reviewing the suitability and the relevance to the third sector of the formal learning that is available 3) Identifying case studies for informal learning activities – such as mentoring programmes – designed to inculcate entrepreneurialism and assess whether such programmes can or should be replicated at regional, national and European levels 4) Considering the potential impact of cultural and legislative issues and on entrepreneurialism within the third sector 5) Developing recommendations to inform the development of enhanced learning opportunities related to entrepreneurial skills for the third sector METHODOLOGY This will be achieved through a programme of local case studies and national level research designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practice, not just between the project partners but also across different sectors and throughout their local and regional networks in each of the participating Member States. The intention is for the results to inform the development of policy recommendations focused upon enhancing the availability and quality of learning opportunities related to entrepreneurial skills for the third sector at local, national and European levels. PARTICIPANTS The target groups for the Skills SETS project will incorporate: VET learners and professionals; local, regional and national third sector organisations; awarding bodies that accredit relevant VET qualifications; and national and European level policy actors related to the third sector in general and social enterprise and entrepreneurship in particular. A minimum of 250 VET professionals and organisations from these target groups will participate in project activities. ACTIVITIES The primary project activities will be as follows: - Delivery of a series of 6 Transnational Project Meetings to facilitate cooperate and partnership working amongst the project partners and to support the management and delivery of key project activities and outcomes - Implementation of a programme of desk based and primary research that will support the development of Intellectual Outputs, including reviews of relevant VET provision, case studies and policy recommendations - Delivery of a series of 4 Multiplier Events designed to promote the Intellectual Outputs created by the project and facilitate ongoing engagement with target groups in order to maximise the impact of project activities in general and Intellectual Outputs in particular IMPACT We anticipate that the Skill SETS project will provide significant beneficial impacts for the individuals directly involved in project activities, as well as for local and regional stakeholder organisations and people from target groups such as VET learners and professionals that are engaged and supported via dissemination and sustainability actions. For those participating directly, the project will enable them to learn from others’ experiences and to develop and enhance their professional competences through the share of skills and good practices. Project activities work will provide participants and stakeholder organisations with access to a wide range of new perspectives on their day-to-day work within the third sector. In particular, partnership activities will provide opportunities to learn from best practice in other EU countries and other sub-sectors of the third sector.