Growth & Jobs | Junior Achievement Jamaica: Fuelling the entrepreneurial fire in student

ON ITS mission of inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in the global economy, Junior Achievement Jamaica (JAJ) is actively working towards achieving this ideal, as it prepares a group of budding entrepreneurs from the Convent of Mercy Academy (Alpha) to represent Jamaica in an entrepreneurial competition in Argentina from November 28-30.

The group of students from Alpha emerged as the winners selected to advance to the regional competition. The contest requires competitors to manufacture a product, then subsequently market it, fulfilling all the ideals of operating as a real-life company. The students are therefore tasked with moving through the ideation to production stages.

The winning company is Sueno Verde, which specialises in the manufacturing of handmade tabletop eco-fountains constructed from recycled plastic bottles. The fountains feature submersible pumps, LED lights, and adjustable water flow settings. Customers are afforded the option of choosing from a range of three sizes and designs to create the ideal focal point for their homes, offices, beauty spas or alternative places of business.

The national winners will now advance to the next round of the competition, which will take place in Argentina in November.

The newly appointed executive director of JAJ, Callia Smith-Harriott, said that entrepreneurship is an essential factor in youth development. She has been a part of Junior Achievement Jamaica since 2011 as a sixth-form student at Herbert Morrison Technical High School in Montego Bay, and has supported the organisation since then in various capacities.

Her aim as the new executive director is to continue empowering young people across the country to dream big and equip them with the necessary skills to achieve success.

“Entrepreneurship is important to youth development because it is one way to ensure young people are striving. Gone are the days when the focus was just on traditional careers. Being exposed to entrepreneurship means young people have different options, different ways that they can make a living, and different ways in which they can share their creativity,” said Smith-Harriott.

Junior Achievement Jamaica is a registered non-governmental organisation which focuses on preparing youth for the real world through the provision of entrepreneurial knowledge, guiding principles concerning work readiness, as well as financial literacy. Smith-Harriott expressed that Junior Achievement Jamaica is intentional about providing programmes that are impactful and central for youth development, catering to youth between the ages of five and 24.

The organisation offers programmes such as the Junior Achievement Company of Entrepreneurs (JACE) programme.

“The JACE programme is one of our flagship programmes, and we partner with the Ministry of Education in its execution. This programme has been integrated into the National Standards Curriculum since 2017, and it aims to stimulate students’ interest in business and entrepreneurship at the grade-nine level,” said Renea Bromfield, programme manager for JACE.

The JACE programme also birthed the Company of the Year Competition, which facilitates students from across Jamaica who are tasked with conceptualising a business idea and moving from the ideatio to production stages.

The students are responsible for producing and marketing the products that they conceptualise. This competition runs locally, after which the selected national winner goes off to represent Jamaica at the regional competition, which includes 20 other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In addition to JACE, the organisation also boasts the Achieve programme which is a collaboration with the UK-based charity Prince’s Trust International (PTI), which aims to combat behavioural issues and youth unemployment.

The PTI programme covers preparation for work, personal development, teamwork, money management skills, and general employability skills to help young people develop soft skills necessary for the world of work. The programme is currently working with approximately 800 students from schools in inner-city and rural communities across Jamaica.

“At the end of each school year, we usually do evaluations and case studies, which compare how the students were before starting the programme and how they are at the end. Based on the responses of the students, too, we can see that the programme has impacted them positively,” Campbell expressed.

Another practical and very exciting programme that the organisation offers is the Biztown programme for primary students. This programme is specifically designed to provide a practical learning experience about the economy, and is the first of its kind outside of the US.

“Biztown focuses on teaching concepts around financial literacy and work readiness to grades five and six students. We have two parts, an in-class session where our curriculum is taught for four to six weeks. Once completed, students come to our mini city for a day of experiential learning,” said Charlene Williams, the programme manager for Biztown.

The simulated day procedure of BizTown allows students to work in roles such as mayor, reporter, and bank teller, among other professions; and they learn how a community operates, while gaining valuable life skills.

Williams highlighted the programme’s efficiency and relevance with its incorporation of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

“The Biztown programme is very impactful to our students, as it emphasises the use of 21st-century skill sets and also incorporates STEM education, focusing on hands-on learning and real-world applications.”

As Junior Achievement Jamaica continues to inspire and prepare young people for the world of work, it also urges students and teachers alike to come on board and benefit from the wide range of offerings that the organisation provides. JAJ also encourages private individuals and organisations to contribute to the cause of youth empowerment through volunteerism or rendering sponsorship assistance.

The Junior Achievement Jamaica team pledges to strengthen its operations by working in unison as Jamaica’s very own youth-centred non-profit organisation, empowering prospective entrepreneurs and future leaders.