{"id":4867,"date":"2017-01-30T15:51:03","date_gmt":"2017-01-30T13:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e0b.2e4.myftpupload.com\/?p=4867"},"modified":"2017-01-30T18:48:30","modified_gmt":"2017-01-30T16:48:30","slug":"press-conference-meet-the-young-entrepreneurs-of-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jacyprus.org\/en\/press-conference-meet-the-young-entrepreneurs-of-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Press Conference: Meet the Young Entrepreneurs of the Future!"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Friday, 27 January 2017, Junior Achievement (JA) Cyprus, the leading entrepreneurship education programme provider in Cyprus<\/strong>, organised a press conference, announcing the launch of the fourth consecutive year of its signature high school \u201cCompany Programme\u201d<\/strong>, as well as the second year of the primary school programme, \u201cMore than Money\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The press conference took place at the Centre for Visual Arts and Research (CVAR). In attendance were: Dr. Costas Kadis, Minister of Education and Culture, British High Commissioner, Mr. Matthew Kidd, and former European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, Mrs. Androulla Vassiliou, as well as other representatives from the public sector, business sector, academic community, and members of the press.<\/p>\n

This is the fourth year that JA Cyprus cooperates with both public and private high schools, as well as vocational schools from all over Cyprus, through the Company Programme. The programme aims to offer high school students, aged 15-18, the opportunity to learn through practice how to develop and implement a viable business idea, from concept to realisation, by forming and running their own real company for an academic year. The CEO of the organisation, Eloiza Savvidou<\/strong>, spoke about the current mismatch of skillsets between the skills employers want from their new employees and the skills academic institutions typically equip the youth of today with. JA Cyprus attempts to bridge that gap, providing students with hands-on entrepreneurship experience; helping them to develop the necessary skills to become successful in a fast-moving global economy.<\/p>\n

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In his brief address, Dr. Costas Kadis<\/strong>, Minister of Education and Culture, noted that through its programmes, Junior Achievement Cyprus fosters creativity and innovation, encouraging students to work in teams and to transform ideas into action, thereby nurturing their curiosity, and imagination. He added that the Ministry of Education and Culture endorses these objectives, and, in the context of its wider efforts, seeks to develop a close and constructive collaboration with Junior Achievement Cyprus.<\/p>\n

This year, over 500 students, supported by over 60 teachers from 31 schools in Cyprus created their own student company, launching innovative products and services. The ten most successful business ideas will participate in the \u201cCompany of the Year\u201d Competition in April 2017. The winning team will be invited to represent Cyprus in the \u201cEuropean Company of the Year\u201d Competition, organised by Junior Achievement Europe (JA Europe), in Belgium, in July 2017. Moreover, JA Cyprus will be running the \u201cMore than Money\u201d programme in primary schools for a second consecutive year, starting in February. The programme, supported by the Association of Cyprus Banks, aims to familiarise 5th and 6th year primary school students with concepts related to the management of money, such as income, expenses and savings. This year, 10 schools and 500 students are expected to participate in the programme, double that of the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\t\t