MORE than 80 students from communities in St Andrew South Eastern have, for the past week, been immersed in a unique opportunity to hone business and social skills during a one-week camp being hosted by FLOW, in collaboration with Member of Parliament Julian Robinson, at JA Biz Town in Kingston.

A project of the Junior Achievement organisation, JA Biz Town (located on Arnold Road) provides students with hands-on training on the day-to-day aspects of transacting businesses, managing money and manoeuvring social situations during their tenure at the training camp.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on Monday, FLOW’s director of corporate communications and stakeholder management, Kayon Wallace, welcomed the students, saying “this week you will embark on an exciting adventure as you learn about how corporate Jamaica and other such entities operate. You will then get to manage your own business. The lessons that you learn will be very useful both now and in the future, so ensure that you pay keen attention and put what you learn into practice”.

She also urged the students to participate in the various learning activities and ensure that they learn how to properly manage their money.

Member of Parliament Julian Robinson, in addressing the students, advised them of the importance of such a learning opportunity. “You will learn how adults earn their money, and how they use it wisely. I am also confident that you will benefit greatly from this experience while leaning about adulthood and dealing with business,” he said.

The JA Biz Town programme is designed to develop the business IQ of students, especially those at the grade five level, as they are exposed to specialised in-class learning. Built as a mini-city, the town comprises several real-life private sector businesses, where the children undertake various functions similar to adults in real life. This environment allows students to better understand the importance of working and earning a living in a replicated economy and also teaches valuable lessons about entrepreneurship and money management.

The camp is expected to wrap up today with an awards ceremony, where FLOW will be providing incentives and awards to the most outstanding students.

Over the past six weeks the telecommunications firm has facilitated several summer activities, including back-to-school fairs for students from underserved communities in the Kingston and St Andrew area.

FLOW will also be hosting its massive annual back-to-school initiative, Skool Aid, on Sunday, August 28 at Jamworld Entertainment Centre in Portmore.