About Preface aims and objectives
All over Europe countries face radical structural changes in the economy often accompanied by the breakdown of traditional branches of big industries formerly dominating the structure. It is recognised that there is a need for creation and development of small and medium sized enterprises (SME's) to make the necessary contribution to job creation, competitiveness and
growth. In this process universities and higher education institutions play an important role both in innovation and development of new 'industrial' fields and in creating the infrastructure of knowledge creation, ideas and
learning. Students graduated from universities and higher education institutions make the fundamental potential resource for creating the necessary new enterprises in the field of science, engineering, technology and IT that are needed in developing strong and competitive regions in Europe.
Although the percentage of female entrepreneurs is recently growing, female entrepreneurs are still a minority.
Especially in technical branches female entrepreneurs are hardly not found, even in young, modern, innovative branches as the IT. The PREFACE project addresses the needs for interesting and motivating students in higher education in the field of science, engineering, technology and IT (SET), with their choice for autonomous entrepreneurship.
The aim of the PREFACE project is to develop a European training programme especially targeted at female students in the SET field. The intention is to present the idea of entrepreneurship to young women already while they are in the middle of their study period in order to make them familiar with the concept of entrepreneurship and to interest, motivate and encourage them to set up their own enterprise in the field of their studies after having graduated.
A background for Preface is given by a former European project called 'JASS -
Joint Analysis and Strategy for Self-employment for Women with technical and scientific education'
In 1997 the JASS project was conceived by ComEAST at Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg and submitted to the European Commission for promotion under the European Leonardo da Vinci Programme.
At the same time the project idea was presented to the Ministry of Labour, Women's Affairs, Health and Social Affairs, which is responsible for implementing the scheme for promoting the establishment of new business enterprises in the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt and implementing policies of the federal state for the promotion of women.
The project was designed to identify first the specific situation of women with mainly engineering and technical degrees on the labour market under the special structural developments and, subsequently, to investigate whether the existing promotion and training schemes for establishing and safeguarding self-employment and motivating highly qualified women are sufficient.
The results obtained were to be used for developing specific modules for training courses, for establishing new business enterprises, securing newly established firms and promoting entrepreneurship as well as motivating women.
Hence, the project was aimed at reflecting the structural changes in the European partner countries, (in particular in the eastern federal states of Germany). These structural changes have been accompanied by the breakdown of traditional branches of big industry formerly dominating the structure.
Click to view JASS presentation in PDF format
Download Adobe
Acrobat Reader 
|
