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Pupils from Kerry Educate Together who took part in the Junior Entrepreneur Programme 2016 programme.
IT’S back again for another year and Kerry kids are being encouraged to take part in a programme which has proved a great success over the years.
Some of Ireland’s most successful entrepreneurs are calling on primary schools nationwide to participate in the Junior Entrepreneur Programme.
The free nationwide programme gives children between the ages of 10 and 12 years a real insight to the business world, by enabling them to convert their commercial ideas into real business opportunities, complete with management teams, sales and especially the thrill of running a successful and profitable business.
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The free 12-16 week programme is led by Kerry businessman Jerry Kennelly and supported by successful entrepreneurs across Ireland, including Anne Heraty (CPL), Niall Norton (Openet), Frank Salmon (CMS Distribution) and Michael Dawson (One 4 All) among others.
JEP is the only initiative that promotes entrepreneurship at primary level. Over the last five years, more than 26,500 national school pupils have already benefitted from the programme.
“All too often entrepreneurship programmes target transition year students at second level, but by then many career decisions and subject choices have already been made. The ideal time to open young minds to the thrill of business is at primary education level, when they are at their most creative and uninhibited in their approach to business ideas and solutions,” said Jerry Kennelly, co-founder of the Junior Entrepreneur Programme and CEO of Tweak.com.
The JEP programme is aligned with the primary school curriculum with participants developing skills and confidence in presentation, drawing, technology, research, numeracy as well as problem solving, collaboration and brand awareness. A full programme kit is provided to schools free of charge, which includes the JEP Teacher’s Guide, posters and classroom display, as well as a dedicated project manager.
In a recent survey, primary school teachers said that the JEP programme supported subjects in the school curriculum, ranking Maths & Science as the key subjects supported, with English and Literacy Skills a very close second and SPHE, Visual Arts and ICT also being supported by the programme.
Almost 90% (87%) of teachers saw an increase in confidence in children participating in JEP in their primary schools, with a further 66% stating that participating in JEP improved the children’s communication skills and their ability to work as a team.
Applications are now open to all primary schools to participate in the Junior Entrepreneurship Programme 2016/2017 at www.juniorentrepreneur.ie. The programme is available nationally and is free for parents, children and schools.
