JUNIOR Achievement Jamaica (JAJ) has taken its educational programmes to another level. The local non-profit organisation has added a Webinar series among its line of offerings to strengthen the capacities of local youth in entrepreneurship, financial literacy and workforce readiness.

These Webinar series will focus on the further development of the skills of youth already involved in one of several programmes of JAJ, the Junior Achievement Company of Entrepreneurs (JACE).

‘Change’, which was the title of the first Webinar held on Monday, January 23 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The session featured the president of Junior Achievement Jamaica, Alphie Mullings-Aiken, as the main presenter.

Newly appointed Minister of Education Rev Ronnie Thwaites has shown tremendous support for the initiative. The minister expressed joy at knowing that 31 of the nation’s public secondary schools will have direct access to the live webinars.

“It gives me great pleasure to witness this innovative initiative by Junior Achievement Jamaica and the Ministry of Education gives its full support. These Webinar sessions not only indicate the progress that the team at Junior Achievement has been making, but is a representation of the use of technology as a means of educating our nation’s youth.”

Mullings-Aiken expressed gratitude to her main partners, the Ministry of Education and the United States Agency for International Development for their contributions in making the organisation’s programmes a tremendous success. She noted that several leaders in the private sector, particularly those who sit on the board of JAJ, are likely to be speakers at subsequent webinars.

While not providing any specifics as to who the speakers will be, she did mention that the two-tiered board of JAJ is chaired by president and chief executive officer of Scotiabank and co-acting president of RBC Royal Bank Roxann Linton.

Mullings-Aiken noted that the webinars are among a long list of developmental plans for the organisation, which has reached over 15,000 youth between the ages of five and 24 in Jamaica since 2008. The Webinars will allow students to interact with presenters live through voice chats and participants will also be able to pose questions and comments during the broadcast through Facebook, Twitter and text messages.

“As we have done in the past, we intend to target private sector leaders, both locally and internationally to pass on knowledge to the students and provide them with the mentorship they need to succeed personally and professionally,” Mullings-Aiken explained.

The Webinars will also be made available to on JAJ’s Facebook and YouTube pages following the live broadcast for anyone to access.

In reiterating support for Junior Achievement Jamaica, Rev Thwaites indicated that he and the team of the Ministry of Education will continue the partnership it has established with the organisation.

“The Ministry of Education will continue to partner with Junior Achievement Jamaica as it continues to boost innovation, encourage enterprise development and educate our students.”