Background
Significant challenges for the footwear sector due to the financial crisis
Footwear SMEs are an essential part for the attainment of a sustainable and durable European economic growth. However, the sector faces significant challenges as it was hit hard by the financial crisis and has not yet recovered. Since 2006 the number of companies dropped down notably, 35.000 jobs were lost and the turnover decreased accordingly. Also, imports, coupled with additional pressures from low wage economies, creates additional pressure.
Aims & Benefits
Increasing awareness about e-commerce technologies
Use the Internet as a sales channel to increase revenues from cross-border sales both within the EU and outside, thus improving the exporting performance of the sector to the benefit of EU economy. This includes changing sales and marketing strategies and new types of organisation and knowledge about e-Commerce technologies.
Empowering footwear SMEs to adopt e-commerce strategies
The BOOST4Shoes will provide the necessary training and tools for SMEs staff from the footwear sector in six (7) countries, UK, CYPRUS, PORTUGAL, GREECE, ROMANIA, POLAND, and GERMANY, to implement essential processes related to e-Commerce (ordering, delivery, payment, communication, overall service, promotion) to increase revenues and reduce costs for their company.
Empowering a large network of stakeholders
The training and tools primarily address SMEs staff from the footwear sector. These tools will be also useful for indirect stakeholders as well, such as VET providers, SMEs Chambers, shoe industry representation bodies, IT companies, e-Commerce/Digital marketing trainers/coaches, and young individuals who can benefit from additional skills which can help them obtain work and mobility.
Innovation
Promoting open & innovative practices, training & tools
The project will come up with the following tangible results:
- An ECVET training course (set as Learning Outcomes) that aims to offer valid training contents to professionals from the footwear sector in order to support them in the acquisition of competences to become an “Online Sales Manager”. It will be a hands-on training course with its modules directly addressing the learning outcomes of the Online Sales Manager ECVET profile, as derived during the execution of the initial activities leading to the present output;
- An Online Sales Strategy Genie: A major innovation of the project is the design and development of an interactive tool to deliver personalised training pathways by initially checking current knowledge and awareness of footwear SMEs about online cross-border sales and then provide personalised strategies composed of phases in order to improve their performance at their own time and pace.
- An Online training delivery environment facilitated by a Social Learning Motivational Environment;
- Hands-on training events in 6 countries (UK, CYPRUS, PORTUGAL, ROMANIA GREECE, POLAND, & GERMANY) will be organized targeting young trainees with the intention of equipping them with the necessary skills and competences in implementing actions related to e-Commerce several processes;
- A virtual space, the BOOST4Shoes-Academy, providing the necessary infrastructure to facilitate a network of SMEs staff from footwear sector, VET trainers, SMEs chambers and other stakeholders who will adopt the results of the project and continue to maintain and develop them past the funding period.
