“Small Businesses” is an interesting educational project run in county upper-secondary schools in Bolesławiec. Students and teachers from technical schools at three schools participate: the Electronic School Complex, the Mechanical School Complex, and the General and Vocational School Complex.
Students are tasked with organizing their own company, which is supposed to operate like a real business providing services. The company is to manufacture products, keep accounts, pay taxes, organize supplies and the sale of goods, and advertise itself.
Under the supervision of vocational-subject teachers, the young people begin by writing business plans. These must reflect reality, comply with applicable regulations, and offer hope that the entire venture will succeed.
As part of the project, students have created and run a salad bar, a training company, an advertising studio, a television studio, and an accounting office.
The entrepreneurship training provided through the project is intended to teach young people how to cope in the “adult” labour market. Potential mistakes and failures can be practised without exposing themselves to legal consequences—as happens in real life—and lessons can be learned.
Students receive all the equipment, products and other items needed to create and operate the company free of charge.
“Small Businesses” is a partnership project. Alongside Bolesławiec, it involves the counties of Zgorzelec and Lubań, and, on the Czech side, Liberec. Students will meet, exchange experiences, and see how their peers are managing in business.
The project runs for two years and will end in 2020. It is financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund as part of the Interreg Czech Republic–Poland programme.