With the launch of Junior Achievement 2011 underway and the 20th anniversary of the programme in the Cayman Islands being celebrated, Paul Byles, President of Junior Achievement of the Cayman Islands, said the programme could not be possible without the generous support and involvement of Cayman’s business community.

“The Cayman business community is an integral part of the ongoing viability and success of Junior Achievement in the Cayman Islands,” he said. “We thank all of the individuals and businesses that over the past 20 years have worked to ensure every child has access to the economic and financial knowledge they will need for the future,” he said.

“Participating in Junior Achievement as a sponsor or volunteer, helps foster the entrepreneurial spirit of Cayman’s youth by inspiring them to start a business, define a career plan and make better financial decisions.”

Mr Byles said Cayman’s students have the innovation and drive but require assistance and mentoring in order to provide them with the skills for running a business.

For 20 years Junior Achievement has answered this call by providing Cayman’s youth with the knowledge they need to plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices.

Through the various Junior Achievement programmes young people experience a traditional education of Maths, English, Science and so on, but today they also need to be taught how to be enterprising and think like entrepreneurs so they can create their own inspiring businesses and community projects, and be more enterprising within their careers and society.

Rotary Central introduced Junior Achievement to the Cayman Islands in 1991 and partnered with the Chamber of Commerce on the popular programme that focuses on youth. The Chamber of Commerce provides a permanent office and offers administrative support.

Ms Teresa Foster, Director of the JA Cayman Islands explained that this year the Junior Achievement Company Programme sees participation from over 200 students across the Cayman Islands schools, paired with 12 sponsoring companies including one on Cayman Brac. The JA Company Programme provides students the opportunity to simulate a real business while being academically challenged in the following areas: company structure, company capitalisation, customer-product focus, product-market pricing, company operations, branding and public relations, product sales, individual entrepreneurial plans and company liquidation.

“Our core objective is to prepare young people to meet the social and economic challenges of the next decade by providing thought-provoking and inspiring educational programmes that promote lifelong learning and foster qualities of leadership, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit,” Mr Byles said.

“As part of JA Worldwide we bring to the Cayman Islands the power and resources of the world’s largest organisation dedicated to preparing our youth for life in a global economy.” he added.