Diapositive 1

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AER Summer School 24-30 August 2008 What is the
role of the region in promoting youth
entrepreneurship ? Examples from
Wallonia, including the export field Philippe
Suinen, CEO Wallonia Foreign Trade and Investment
Agency
WWW.AWEX.BE EXPORT INVESTMENT
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In the centre of a 500 million consumers market
WALLONIA A REGION IN THE VERY HEART OF EUROPE
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WALLONIA an autonomous region

• Competencies in numerous matters related to its
  economic policy (including external relation
  capacities) employment and professional
  training, foreign trade and investment, applied
  research and new technologies, transport and
  public works, environment, agriculture, energy
  and water.
• Active at the international level together with
  the French-speaking Community of Belgium, which
  is responsible for culture, youth, education,
  basic research, etc.

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AWEX A FEW FACTS AND FIGURES

• Agency of the Walloon Region of Belgium in charge
  of promoting foreign trade and attracting foreign
  investment
• Created in 1998
• Headquarters in Brussels (foreign trade) and
  Namur (foreign investment)
• Six regional centres in Wallonia
• Worlwide network covering more than 100 markets
• 450 employees of which 200 abroad
• Budget 2008 68,4 millions
• Certified ISO 9001 since 2002

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Promotion of youth entrepreneurship in Wallonia
public agencies involved

• AWEX Wallonia Foreign Trade and Investment
  Agency
• WBI Wallonia-Brussels International Agency
  which is responsible for the international
  relations of the Walloon Region and the
  French-speaking Community of Belgium
• BIJ International Youth Office of WBI
• FOREM (Walloon Office for Employment and
  Professional Training)
• IFAPME (Agency for the Training of Self-Employed
  and SMEs Workers)
• ASE (Agency for Economic Stimulation)

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Promotion of youth entrepreneurship in Wallonia
programmes implemented

• EXPLORT (joint programme managed by AWEX and
  FOREM)
• International Youth Office programmes
• Tremplin Jeunes (Springboard for Young People)
• AQWBJ (Wallonia-Brussels-Quebec Youth Agency)
• Eurodyssée
• IFAG (Francophone Institute for Management)
• FOREMs programmes
• Languages Plan
• Forem International Traineeship (FIT)
• Transeurop
• WBI-World excellence grants
• Programme promoting creative use of
  interculturalism in business
• ASEs programme promoting entrepreneurial spirit
• IFAPMEs programmes

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Promotion of youth entrepreneurship in Wallonia
EXPLORT

• ORIGIN
• Implemented in 2006 in the framework of the
  Priority Action Plan for the Future of Wallonia
  (known as the Marshall Plan) which provides for
  an intensification of in-company training in
  export-related trades intended for young people
  (target of 350 trainees per year from 2006 to
  2009)
• OBJECTIVES
• To provide youth (students and young graduate
  job-seekers) with intensive training in
  international trade in accordance with the
  markets needs
• To offer a first professional experience through
  company practice (apprenticeship) and export
  missions abroad
• To help Walloon SMEs grow on international
  markets thanks to specifically trained young
  personnel
• To focus on the development of intercultural
  dimensions and language skills

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Promotion of youth entrepreneurship in Wallonia
EXPLORT

• MAIN STAGES
• Information and guidance
• Modular training (basic module and
  specialisations)
• Linguistic immersion (if necessary)
• In-company training period
• Assignments abroad on behalf of a Walloon company
  or within AWEX offices
• Assistance in seeking employment
• FROM THE LAUNCHING IN SEPTEMBER 2006
• 426 EXPLORT trainees have helped Walloon
  companies to develop internationnaly
• Around 85 of trainees have found a job

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Promotion of youth entrepreneurship in Wallonia
International Youth Office (BIJ)

• Tremplin Jeunes (Springboard for Young People)
• Set up under an EU programme
• Improves youth skills by offering practical work
  experience in a foreign business located in the
  EU zone
• Stimulates the search for new knowledge in order
  to launch a commercial or cultural project /
  business
• Wallonia-Brussels-Quebec Youth Agency, which
  promotes
• Development of partnerships, business contacts
  and potential markets in Quebec
• Exploratory or preparatory missions with a view
  to subsequent implementation of a project in
  Quebec
• Implementation of joint projects with partners
  from Quebec

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Promotion of youth entrepreneurship in Wallonia
Eurodyssée and IFAG

• Eurodyssée
• Exchange programme of the Assembly of Regions of
  Europe
• Provides young graduates with a first
  professional experience in a foreign company
  based in an European region
• IFAG
• Francophone Institute for Management located in
  Sofia
• Offers future graduates with work experience in
  foreign companies through the setting-up of
  contacts between local and Walloon firms
  (particularly in Eastern Europe)

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Promotion of youth entrepreneurship in Wallonia
FOREM

• Languages Plan
• A key measure of the Marshall Plan (budget of
  60 millions) allowing young people to improve
  their knowledge of foreign languages by providing
  intensive coaching and training
• 8,000 extra immersion grants
• 12,000 extra training courses for job-seekers
• 500,000 extra cheques for language training
• 800 additional young people trained abroad
  through the EXPLORT programme
• Forem International Traineeship (FIT) and
  Transeurope
• Provides young job-seekers with work experience
  abroad in order to fine tune a career plan,
  improve language knowledge or start a
  specialisation

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Promotion of youth entrepreneurship in Wallonia
other programmes

• WBI-World excellence grants
• Promotes the mobility of Walloon graduates and
  researchers in foreign institutions worldwide
  with a focus on the 5 competitiveness clusters of
  the Walloon region (aerospace, transport and
  logistics, mechanical engineering, life sciences
  and agro-industry)
• Programme for the creative use of
  interculturalism in business
• Assists young entrepreneurs in pooling
  experiences, technologies and projects with
  potential foreign partners
• Focuses on the competitiveness clusters

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Promotion of youth entrepreneurship in Wallonia
other programmes

• Entrepreneurial Spirit programme
• Managed by the ASE (Agency for Economic
  Stimulation) created in 2006 by the Marshall Plan
• Offers grants to scholars and students at all
  levels (primary, secondary and university) for
  the development of projects promoting
  entrepreneurship in their school environment
• IFAPMEs programmes
• Provides training modules and courses in
  entrepreneurship development and business
  creation management to self-employed and SMEs
  workers
• Offers strategic and practical assistance in the
  creation or purchase of businesses

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The youth entrepreneurship chain in Wallonia

• Promote entrepreneurship and risk-taking
  attitude at school and in the school environment
• Develop and encourage interculturality in your
  own region
• Create a culture of necessary internationalisation
  
• Organise incentives for international projects
  which aim to create and strengthen businesses
• Provide awards and grants for youth involvment in
  businesses
• Stimulate networking and clustering