Although the basic skills developed through PRATICAR form a strong foundation, participants generally also require a range of entrepreneurial, business and vocational skills and assistance in order to successfully execute their project and have a self-sustaining impact. Because of this, CEN and our partners help participants develop higher-level skills by engaging them in individual and group projects while guiding them as they apply their new skills. Through a set of activities similar to those used in PRATICAR, along with exercises and workshops, participants become proficient in skills related to entrepreneurship, proper business communication, marketing, resource management and other technical skills specific to their project or vocation.

Information literacy is another critical foundation for entrepreneurship and a major area of focus for cCLEAR. The skills encompassed in this type of literacy include an understanding of what information resources to use, how to navigate and evaluate them, and how to use them for communication and to conduct accurate research.

During these community projects, we put residents in touch with the proper technical assistance to ensure quality work from the project's inception to its completion. This assistance comes from many sources, including extension services and close mentors who help address key weaknesses identified during the process of creating products and bringing them to market. This marketing process is particularly challenging for rural entrepreneurs who often have a very limited understanding of how to best present and find buyers for their products. We help mitigate this problem by engaging them with market feedback and assisting with the development of marketing materials.

Other Components of Our Development Approach

• Overview
• Strengthening Basic Skills and Mindsets
• Overcoming Structural Obstacles