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Latest News from the Digital Innovations for Growth Academy

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Welcome to the Digital Innovations for Growth Academy Newsletter

We are excited to bring you news of our Digital Innovations for Growth Academy (DIGA). DIGA is a partnership of dynamic organisations working across Europe who support enterprise development and promote the use of digital technologies.  The partner organisations operate in 7 different countries, work with individuals and businesses and have a common goal of improving information, training and advice available to entrepreneurs and those that support them.  Partners are working together to develop an innovative learning programme for those providing entrepreneurship and business development training and advice.

Full list of partners and more information can be found here. 
 
DIGA is undertaken in the frame of the DIGA (Digital Innovation for Growth Academy) Project which has been funded with support from the European Commission ERASMUS+ Programme (2015-2017).

DIGA Partners Meet in Maribor


At the end of April 2016 our Slovenian partners, Economic Institute of Maribor, Human Resource Development Centre, played host to the DIGA partnership for our latest transnational meeting. During the visit a knowledge transfer workshop took place to ensure programme delivery staff from each partner organisation have a shared understanding of the draft programme and resources available so far. The DIGA collective also shared trainer case study examples and the essential messages and stakeholders to be targeted for dissemination in the next six months including a Brussels multiplier event. 

Operations Manager for UK partner The Women's Organisation Laura Anderson felt the visit to Maribor was great for the learning of the team particularly for "personal learning, expanding our knowledge of new online tools such as Google Garage".

Full run down of the transnational meeting can be read here. 

Dr Briga Hynes Reflects on DIGA Research & Reports

So far as a partnership the DIGA team have conducted research with a sample of entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial educators and trainers and entrepreneurial learners to ascertain the predicaments they encounter in the adoption of digital and what their needs are in terms of addressing these quandaries.  Dr Briga Hynes from DIGA partner University of Limerick offered her reflections on the findings so far. Click here to read up on this.
You can also read Briga's intriguing summary documents:

Bulgarian Centre for Women in Technology Say 'DIGA Works for Us'

Project Coordinator for BCWT Bulgaria Evelina Prodanova has been reflecting on how EU-funded Multi-National Projects have a positive impact on organisations.

She says "By being part of such a multi-national project like the DIGA one, we not only get the chance to achieve results with a huge impact in 7 countries but we get the opportunity to enhance our own working abilities, cultural understandings and ways of understanding the world around us, from a professional and personal point of view."

Read Evelina's full reflection here. 

Coming soon to DIGA: initial DIGA Learning Programme pilots


The DIGA partnership are excited to be preparing to pilot the DIGA Learning Programme to Enterprise Educators and Trainers in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovenia, Spain and UK this Summer.
 
The programme will provide an opportunity for Enterprise Trainers and Educators across Europe to enhance their digital knowledge and understanding and to consider how they can integrate digital skills, tools and processes into their business start-up and development training and support activities.

Informed by extensive research that analysed the needs and experiences of learners considering entrepreneurship as a career option, entrepreneurs running their own small businesses and their teachers and advisers, a 5-module learning programme has been designed. 

The five modules are:

1. Enhancing Digital Awareness and Knowledge
2. The Role and Use of Digital Technologies and their Benefits to Business
3. Making Digital Deliver for the Start-Up and Small Business
4. Enabling and Supporting the Development of an Entrepreneurial Digital Strategy
5. Designing Integrated (Digital Competence) Entrepreneur Support/Programmes

Each module involves sharing information and knowledge as well as small group and individual activities.  Reports, case studies and a range of learning tools are included throughout the programme.  Follow this link for a wider overview on the learning modules.

DIGA Recommends...


During the lifetime of the project we have come across some great digital tools that are really useful for entrepreneurs.  Here are our latest discoveries we think you should check out:

This publication has been produced in the frame of DIGA (Digital Innovation for Growth Academy) Project. The project has been funded with support from the European Commission, ERASMUS+ Programme.   The information contained in this publication reflects only the author’s views and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.  Sole responsibility lies with authors.