Erasmus + training for Youth Workers at Roubaix, Lille, France 13-18 of October 2016
Report by participants

Together Inc: Networking through entrepreneurship

We are very grateful for the opportunity to attend this training in Roubaix, France through our NGO “ Citizens in Power” which increases your entrepreneurial skills and knowledge along with expanding our network scope all over Europe.

Our experienced trainer Mr. Angelos Parmatzias represented the training with great success through various interactive activities and exercises both indoors and outdoors. Some of those were team building activities which helped the group bond and others like business creation, idea conceiving activities which led to formulate new parameters in our whole business ideology.

During the experiential workshops we had opportunity to elaborate through discussing and implementing new business ideas with examples from our everyday lives and each others country’s backgrounds. Some strategic methods were implemented by Mr.Parmatzias on order for us to understand how to create the business from just the idea to reality. All steps are very important but the most important of all is to have an innovative idea that can work is the environment you want to set up the business.

Of course we were very fortunate to meet some great people with interesting personalities through out Europe. Bright young minds that came for the knowledge and to enhance their business spectrum even more. Moreover, this kind of interaction with people from other countries creates the network which may lead to formation of strong and innovative business ideas.

For example you might get inspiration for a new business that is already established in another country and thriving. Most importantly, strong friendships were created among us that can last for the years to come.

Furthermore, we had the lifetime opportunity to visit existing start up companies in Roubaix and understand the dynamic of this new world of potentials.

One of the companies we visited is Eurotechnologies which basically helps young people make their ideas into real business by funding them. Essentially, everyone that has an innovative idea for new business could contact them and given the possibility, even create his/her own company within Eurotechnologies premises.

Another start up company, with equally important characteristics is Dagoma. As soon as you visit their factory you can immediately distinguish the dynamic and appreciate the nice atmosphere of their working environment. They created a small factory with 3D machines and their two main strategies are: Firstly, to sell the 3D machines to end customers by enabling them to create their own innovative 3D models. Secondly, to create in large quantities if needed any 3D model that the customer desires.

All things considered, the most important message through this training is networking with people from other countries and eventually share thoughts and experiences related to business possibilities and needs. The overall experience was great with the workshops, venue, accommodation and the participants. We highly recommend this kind of trainings for young people was want to gain the “know how” of the business ideology as it should be conceived in our days.

Written by Citizens in Power members

Yiannis Kitsos
Christodoulos Avraam