EMPRETEC is a flagship capacity-building programme of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for the promotion of entrepreneurship and micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) to facilitate sustainable development and inclusive growth.
The EMPRETEC programme is implemented through its National Centres, established in 39 countries, over 3 continents.
What’s great is that Romania is the first European country where this program was implemented. The UNCTAD EMPRETEC workshops are organized under the coordination of the 5 EMPRETEC centers (a national center – EMPRETEC Romania and 4 regional centers – EMPRETEC Transylvania, EMPRETEC South-East, EMPRETEC Oltenia-Banat and EMPRETEC Moldova) and will run in 8 locations (assigned to the organizing 8 OTIMMC: Brasov, Cluj Napoca, Constanta, Craiova, Iasi, Ploiesti, Targu Mures, Timisoara).
If you’ve been on our blog before, or had a talk with any AYGer, you know that as part of our organizational culture, we care a lot about community development. That’s why we are constantly involved in projects and initiatives that positively impact society and support NGOs in their quest of doing so.
A key area we focus our strategic involvement is on entrepreneurship as we strongly believe in its power. We actively promote entrepreneurship as a mean to reduce economic and social inequality, and we find it to be an enabler of growth and contributor to sustainable development objectives.
You know how it is said that nothing is accidental, similar people tend to stick together and you basically attract them somehow?
Well, after TEDxConstanta 2017, we’ve been approached by a fellow entrepreneur, Liviu Radus to develop a similar mobile app with the one we’ve developed for TEDxConstanta, for their regional conference titled Proud to be EMPRETEC.
And so I heard about this programme which was highly regarded and recommended by previous participants. Hence, in September 2018, I applied and after a combination of pre-screening tests, a behavior & business focused interview, I was selected to participate in a 9 day intense workshop at Gura Humorului, 519 km away from home.
In a nutshell, EMPRETEC provides a one-stop-shop for know-how, business training, motivation and access to a mass of successful, committed entrepreneurs or wanna-be entrepreneurs. Thus, I personally found it to be a positive change vector, a great networking opportunity for promising entrepreneurs to get together and a SMART way to put your ideas into action and achieve sustainable business growth.
EMPRETEC was for me a fascinating journey into my personal development, a deep process of meditation and analysis as a result of which I rediscovered and reinvented myself.
The special methodology of the workshop, the roller coaster of emotions and the network of contacts you build make EMPRETEC a scaling and growth program for any business.
What happens in EMPRETEC, stays in EMPRETEC – we swear by this promise, so, I won’t spoil the beans and reveal too much information about the overall experience.
However, what I can say is the foundation of the EMPRETEC program is developed using a unique methodology of Harvard Business School, based on an extensive research program initiated and led by professor David McClelland. That alone should tell you that the programme is solid and relevant.
The curriculum includes non-formal education techniques with experiential learning delivered by interactive teaching methods that incorporate practical experience and encourage learning by doing as opposed to traditional, standard forms of academic learning.
We were trained by a skilled network of 4 trainers from the Association for Entrepreneurship Romania (APAR), awesome entrepreneurs and facilitators who challenged us and shared a lot of their personal business stories and best practices.
EMPRETEC was a great experience and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for great inputs for business growth and motivation.
In case you are interested in this great opportunity, here’s what you need to know:
Participation costs:
- The standard program is funded through Government Funds, thus, if selected, you will not pay anything.
- However, if you are interested in EMPRETEC Pro, it comes with a tuition fee of around 1500€.
Eligible applicants in Romania:
The individuals who cumulatively meet the following eligibility criteria on the date of lodging the program subscription form set out in Annex 1 can benefit from the Program:
- are Romanian citizens;
- have completed secondary or upper education with baccalaureate/license diploma or certificate of studies completion;
- to enroll in the activities referred in the Program by filling in the subscription form.
Selection:
For the workshops organized under the Program, the selection of the participants will be done in registration order as follows:
- Phase I, verification of eligibility conditions under art. 4. by OTIMMC.
- Phase II interview organized by UNCTAD certified trainers.
In case of rejection following the interview organized by UNCTAD certified trainers, the applicants will be informed of the grounds for rejection by UNCTAD certified trainers. The list of the applicants admitted and rejected and the reasons for their rejection will be sent by the UNCTAD certified trainers to the organizing OTIMMC and will be published on www.aippimm.ro.
If you are Romanian and interested in attending EMPRETEC, be sure to check APAR for updates.
If you are interested in attending EMPRETEC and you are living in another country, visit the official website here.
And if you know somebody that might be interested in this opportunity, share this article with them. #SharingisCaring 🙂
