JA Company Programme

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Gain Creators

  • Students have a better understanding of “how a business works” and show improvements in:
  • o ‘soft’ skills like self-confidence, creativity, taking initiative, teamwork, resourcefulness, taking responsibility and perseverance;
  • o ‘hard’ competences like assembling products, critical thinking, math computation, interpreting data, negotiation, financial skills, communication skills, time management.
    • Correlates well to curriculum standards and requirements in social studies, language and maths
    • Teachers become more entrepreneurial and learn more about entrepreneurship education
  • Flexible time commitment through blended learning

  • Students have a better understanding of “how a business works” and show improvements in:
  • o ‘soft’ skills like self-confidence, creativity, taking initiative, teamwork, resourcefulness, taking responsibility and perseverance;
  • o ‘hard’ competences like assembling products, critical thinking, math computation, interpreting data, negotiation, financial skills, communication skills, time management.
    • Correlates well to curriculum standards and requirements in social studies, language and maths
    • Teachers become more entrepreneurial and learn more about entrepreneurship education
  • Flexible time commitment through blended learning

Gains

Educators need:

  • Practical learning-by-doing approaches in the classroom
  • Easy-to-implement activities that fit well within the curriculum
  • Content that is relevant and challenging for students aged 15-19
  • Activities that will expose young people to real-world situations and get them thinking constructively about the future
  • Time flexibility to deliver another course

Educators need:

  • Practical learning-by-doing approaches in the classroom
  • Easy-to-implement activities that fit well within the curriculum
  • Content that is relevant and challenging for students aged 15-19
  • Activities that will expose young people to real-world situations and get them thinking constructively about the future
  • Time flexibility to deliver another course

Target Group

Teachers of students aged 15-19

Teachers of students aged 15-19

Implementation and distribution

Distribution

  • Through the JA network:  JA offices reach out to local schools or teachers register with their local JA office to participate in the programme.
  • The programme’s educational kit is distributed to participating schools for the preparation of teachers and volunteers

Implementation

  • The programme is delivered in collaboration with national partners from public and business sector;
  • JA provides training and support for educators and volunteers to deliver the programme in the classroom.

Distribution

  • Through the JA network:  JA offices reach out to local schools or teachers register with their local JA office to participate in the programme.
  • The programme’s educational kit is distributed to participating schools for the preparation of teachers and volunteers

Implementation

  • The programme is delivered in collaboration with national partners from public and business sector;
  • JA provides training and support for educators and volunteers to deliver the programme in the classroom.

JA Company Programme

This is an easy-to-use programme that provides teachers with a series of learning-by doing business, economics and entrepreneurship activities for students aged 15-18.

By challenging the students to solve a problem in their community through a business venture, the Company Programme unleashes their entrepreneurial spirit. Students experience running their own company (for one academic year), they discover first-hand how a company functions and gain an insight into how their talents could be used to set up a business.

By bringing business volunteers in the classroom to share their experience and mentor, students get a better overview of career opportunities, what skills are needed to succeed and they start to consider entrepreneurship as a potential career opportunity.

In 2014-2015 school year, over 313,000 students enrolled in the programme across the 40 countries in Europe that offer it.

Here is a story from  student that participated in the Company Programme:

 

This is an easy-to-use programme that provides teachers with a series of learning-by doing business, economics and entrepreneurship activities for students aged 15-18.

By challenging the students to solve a problem in their community through a business venture, the Company Programme unleashes their entrepreneurial spirit. Students experience running their own company (for one academic year), they discover first-hand how a company functions and gain an insight into how their talents could be used to set up a business.

By bringing business volunteers in the classroom to share their experience and mentor, students get a better overview of career opportunities, what skills are needed to succeed and they start to consider entrepreneurship as a potential career opportunity.

In 2014-2015 school year, over 313,000 students enrolled in the programme across the 40 countries in Europe that offer it.

Here is a story from  student that participated in the Company Programme:

 

Activities

  • The programme’s 5 steps are delivered through Blended Learning:
    • Motivation & ideation
    • Organising the team
    • Shaping up and establishing the mini-company
    • Implementation
    • Competing & closing
  • Optional:

  • The programme’s 5 steps are delivered through Blended Learning:
    • Motivation & ideation
    • Organising the team
    • Shaping up and establishing the mini-company
    • Implementation
    • Competing & closing
  • Optional:

Resources

Curricula , training and support for educators & business volunteers:

  • Company Programme Education Kit: Guide for teachers, Guide for Business Volunteers, Students’ manual and materials (paper-based or online)
  • Training session for teachers and volunteers
  • JA follow-up and support

Manpower:

  • Business volunteers – recruited by JA,
  • Support staff from JA side

Curricula , training and support for educators & business volunteers:

  • Company Programme Education Kit: Guide for teachers, Guide for Business Volunteers, Students’ manual and materials (paper-based or online)
  • Training session for teachers and volunteers
  • JA follow-up and support

Manpower:

  • Business volunteers – recruited by JA,
  • Support staff from JA side

Pain Relievers

  • Provide ready-to-go easy-to-use materials for teachers; digital options available
  • Activities that are hands-on; student-centered
  • Use interaction with business volunteers who bring real-world perspective when they present the content and add a ‘cool factor’
  • Use the practical entrepreneurship experience as a way to build confidence, change attitudes and behaviours

  • Provide ready-to-go easy-to-use materials for teachers; digital options available
  • Activities that are hands-on; student-centered
  • Use interaction with business volunteers who bring real-world perspective when they present the content and add a ‘cool factor’
  • Use the practical entrepreneurship experience as a way to build confidence, change attitudes and behaviours

Pains

  • Difficult age-group to motivate/satisfy
  • Lack of good content/materials activities in EE for this age group
  • Talking about money and jobs is “not my expertise” but my students this age are thinking about these issues; there is pressure on them to think about their future education choices and careers
  • Teachers lack training in learning-by-doing ‘entrepreneurial’ methods

  • Difficult age-group to motivate/satisfy
  • Lack of good content/materials activities in EE for this age group
  • Talking about money and jobs is “not my expertise” but my students this age are thinking about these issues; there is pressure on them to think about their future education choices and careers
  • Teachers lack training in learning-by-doing ‘entrepreneurial’ methods

Additional Information:

Launched in 1919, the JA Company Programme is the flagship programme of JA and it is implemented successfully worldwide. More information here.

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Company Programme impact on alumni:

  • More likely to start their own business. The Study “Experiences from participating in JA-YE Company Programme” revealed that Company Programme alumni demonstrate start-up rates which are three times as high (15%) than among the average population in Europe (5%-6%).
  • Alumni companies tend to be more successful. In a study conducted by Kingston University Business School, “50 Year of Young Enterprise” the key findings around Company Programme alumni-run companies showed that they tend to have a higher turnover, employ more people, are more innovative and diverse.
  • Developed employability skills and attitudes and are more successful in their careers. In a study conducted by BCG (Boston Consulting Group), “Making an Impact”, JA alumni cited JA participation as a significant source of impact on their ability to get a job, performance success at work, and personal network.
  • Better future earnings. In Canada, the average income for JA alumni is 50% higher than non-alumni (Making an Impact, BCG study Assessing Junior Achievement of Canada’s Value Creation)

The Company Programme can be centered on a specific topic/industry:

  • Social Entrepreneurship: Social Enterprise 360  project, developed through a strategic partnership between organizations from 8 countries and co-funded by the European Commission through Erasmus+, is based on a comprehensive educational approach of social entrepreneurship, combining learning outcomes with assessment, formal methods with informal activities implemented in-school and out-of-school, participants engagement at local and international level, interaction within activities developed for teachers and mentors. Read more here.
  • STEM focus: Skills for the Future – JA Europe is partnering with Hyundai Motor Europe to promote greater understanding and awareness among young people about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills, entrepreneurship and skills for their future employability. During the 3-year initiative, 10,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 18, in 15 European countries will have the opportunity to try their hand at enterprise, learn valuable STEM skills and apply their knowledge in new ways. With support from their teachers, they will be exposed to a variety of learning-by-doing approaches and work with Hyundai business volunteers from all over Europe. Over 400 employees from the business community will volunteer. Read more here.

The programme is also developed further, aiming to create cross-border international partnerships and mutual benefits for students around the world, as part of their JA experience through Enterprise without Borders.

Read more about Innovation camps and competitions

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