The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will be integrating the Junior Achievement Company of Entrepreneurs (JACE) programme into the ninth grade curriculum as of September 2016.
Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said the objective is to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship among students.
The programme, implemented by Junior Achievement Jamaica (JAJ), is in secondary schools across the island. It consists of students operating a business, while learning the core business skills needed to succeed globally.
Senator Reid informed that students in 250 all-age and primary schools will be taught entrepreneurship skills. The JAJ will be conducting teacher training sessions over the summer period to deliver the JACE programme content.
The Minister, who was addressing the JAJ’s annual Champions for Youth awards banquet held on May 31 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston, praised the entity for its invaluable contribution to promoting entrepreneurship among students through various programmes.
“JAJ has been helping youngsters in the nooks and crannies of Jamaica to understand the importance of directing and owning their own economic success,” he noted.
The annual Champions for Youth awards banquet was launched in 2012 to recognise companies and teachers, who volunteer their services to contribute to the development of entrepreneurial knowledge among the nation’s youth.
The programme is supported by several private and public entities including the Ministry of Education, Ernst and Young, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), Spanish Court Hotel, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
This year, 21 organisations from the public and private sectors, and 14 teachers from primary and high schools were awarded for their support of the JAJ programmes.
Chairman of the JAJ, Paul Lalor, thanked the volunteers, teachers and educators for their contribution.
“Our success is due in large part to the commitment of the hundreds of persons who support us… we see our children excelling in large part due to the confidence they have gained from exposure to Junior Achievement,” he said.
In her remarks, Mission Director USAID, Denise Herbol commended the JAJ for its commitment to entrepreneurial development.
She noted that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the driving force for local economic development, accounting for about 80 per cent of the Jamaican workforce.
“An increasing number of youth are now actively looking at becoming entrepreneurs instead of just entering a nine-to-five job and working for someone else. This is commendable as there is space available for more businesses in Jamaica,” she pointed out.
The JAJ is part of the global non-profit organisation, Junior Achievement Worldwide, which provides training for young people in entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness.
The JAJ has reached over 60,000 youth in Jamaica since 2009 through its JA BizTown and JACE entrepreneurial programmes.
Source: Jamaica Information Service