Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI) has become the 20th organisation to locate an office in the PorterShed in Galway. Coincidentally, we are also celebrating our 20th anniversary this year, having first worked with Irish students in 1996.  In the West of … Read More

Students from Presentation Secondary School, Athenry enjoying a visit to Cambus Medical In 2015/16 school year,  12 Cambus Medical volunteers worked with over 130 students in Galway schools and helped them to gain science, enterprise and life skills, by bringing … Read More

Helen Raftery, CEO of JAI; Seán Kyne TD, Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs; Amy Ní Fhlatharta and Eoin Ó Murchú, students at Coláiste Cholmcille and Stiofán Ó Cualáin, Údarás na Gaeltachta

500 Transition Year students from Gaeltacht regions in Cork, Galway, Donegal, Kerry Mayo, Meath & Waterford will participate in the Údarás na Gaeltachta – Clár na gComhlachtaí this year.

Seán Kyne TD, Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs launched the 2016/17 programme in Coláiste Cholmcille, Indreabhán and students from the school were on hand to display some of the innovative ideas that they have for their fledgling businesses!

Clár na gComhlachtaíis is a hands-on business learning experience developed and delivered in partnership with JAI and is taught through the Irish language to students attending schools in Gaeltacht regions. Based on the well-established JA Company Programme and Company of the Year Competition, students create, operate and manage their own business. The programme provides numerous opportunities for the development and reinforcement of important academic and leadership skills.

Local business volunteers, each of whom is recruited, trained and supported by JAI, mentor the students alongside their teachers as they move from the idea generation stage, to production, marketing, sales, finance right through to going to market.

Based on research on entrepreneurship education, students participating in Údarás Clár na gComhlachtaí are more likely to start their own business, are at lower risk of being unemployed, and are more often in steady employment into adulthood. These projected outcomes are based on the success schemes around Europe, which incorporate the JA Company Programme, on which the design of Clár na gComhlachtaí is based.

Seán Kyne TD, Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs commented: “I’d like to congratulate Údarás na Gaeltachta and Junior Achievement Ireland for their collaboration on Clár na gComhlachtaí and I wish the students all the best in this very worthwhile initiative. Businesses are at the heart of the economy in this country and this programme is a wonderful opportunity to instill entrepreneurship in young people.”

Noeleen Lowry of DeCare Dental examines sugars levels in foods with students from Ballindine N.S.

DeCare Dental, a specialist dental insurance and oral health company based in Claremorris, has partnered with Junior Achievement Ireland since 2014 and already nearly 40 employees have delivered enterprise and science programmes to more than 600 local students in Claremorris, Co. Mayo.

During the 2015/16 school year, local students from Ballindine N.S., Gaelscoil Uileog De Burca and Convent of Mercy availed of the opportunity to be involved in Junior Achievement programmes with DeCare Dental volunteers. The programmes delivered by the volunteers ranged from the ‘Ourselves’ programme for senior infants who enjoyed developing an understanding of helping, working, earning and saving, through to senior primary level students gaining valuable entrepreneurial and STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, Maths) skills in the ‘Our World’ and ‘Our Universe’ programmes.

Students from Ballyvary N.S. with volunteers Michelle McKim, John Gibbons, Robert Wilkes & Brid Farragher Junior Achievement Ireland were delighted to partner with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the first time in 2015/2016 school year. Within weeks of initiating … Read More

Rebecca Clifford and Maeve O’Toole with Transition Year students from Calasanctius College, Oranmore

Students from Transition Year class Calasancitus College, Oranmore were given a real-life insight into work and business, when they were hosted by SAP SSC (Ireland) Ltd at their Galway headquarters in Parkmore. The visit was part of an ongoing programme provided by Junior Achievement Ireland, which was supported by SAP  and which saw over 9 of their team provide practical entrepreneurship education workshops to local schools throughout the last 12 months.

David Ryan, Lead, GSS, Global Enterprise Support & Premium Engagements welcomed the Calasanctius students and their teacher Ms. Ruth Broderick to SAP and spoke to the students about the importance of focusing on their education and the skills required to work in a facility such as SAP. David also advised the students on the importance of being customer focused in the GSS, Global Enterprise Support & Premium Engagements team.

Rebecca Clifford, who organized the visit and had mentored the students through the Junior Achievement Ireland Company Programme said “I have volunteered with JA Ireland before, what brings me back each time is the enormous sense of accomplishment on both sides – for both myself and the students that I am teaching. This year I was working with TY students from my old school, Calasanctious College Oranmore, and they decided to set up their own business preparing and selling delicious milkshakes on campus during lunch break. The team worked so hard. I really feel that working through all the steps on the JA program helped contribute to their success but it would not have been possible without their dedication, commitment and hard work. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the TY students and I am looking forward to participating again in September!”

More than 100 pupils from Primary Schools in Galway had the chance to experience the wonderful world of science recently and discover that science is actually great fun! The students from St. Brendan B.N.S., Loughrea,  Killeeneen N.S., Craughwell, St. Michael’s … Read More

Over 1000 students in DEIS Schools in Galway are participating in the ‘Our Community’ project, during the 2015-16 school year. The project is kindly supported by IPB Insurance and aims to show students that they have a valuable place and an important role to play in their community, in the future.

Presentation Secondary School transition year students with SAP volunteer Fiona Monne & teachers Niamh Nolan & Corina Delaney

The students from 11 different including Claddagh N.S., Scoil An Linbh Iosa, Scoil Chaitriona, Renmore, Galway Community College and Presentation Secondary School, are participating in a structured five-week programme delivered by business volunteers from Galway, using high quality Junior Achievement materials. 

Their business volunteer is a positive influence for the students; motivating them, increasing their confidence and raising their aspirations for the future .

Winners of the EU Quiz – GermanyOver 50 students in Mercy Secondary School, Newtownsmith, Galway took part in an exciting Europe4U event recently which was organised by Junior Achievement Ireland with the support of the Communicating Europe Initiative in the … Read More