Young Enterprise is all for promoting entrepreneurial education. Lorna Farrugia, who has taken on the role of manager, tells Simonne Pace that young entrepreneurs become achievers simply by learning through doing.
"If you put all you've got into anything you do and treat even the simplest task like a business, you're likely to succeed."
Lorna Farrugia remembers a senior bank colleague saying this during a training session. Not only do these words still ring in her ear, but she has also put what her friend said to good use in both her working and personal life, saying the approach is a winning card.
Ms Farrugia moved to Junior Achievement Young Enterprise (JA-YE) last year after 39 years in banking and fits in perfectly. She feels very attached to the organisation, believes strongly in its potential to help young people excel and hopes to "be around" next year.
"The more students, the more diverse Young Enterprise is - you can almost feel its pulse. Whoever touches this programme is attached to it forever. The passion remains," she says.
"This organisation gives young people the skills for life. Once a team is formed, students need to take decisions, manage conflict, handle demanding tasks, persevere and work under pressure. It's about learning by doing."
The HSBC Company of the Year programme offers students an insight into the world of business. They experience the creation of their own business and, with the help of real business advisers and link teachers, students are exposed to the basic aspects of running a real-life business.
If students are not business oriented, soft skills learnt throughout the programme may be applied to any real life situation anyway.
"In the competitive world we live in today, it is more evident that stakeholders and employers look out for outstanding individuals, who do not only possess academic qualifications, but who have also developed these soft skills needed to face the challenges on offer," says Karl Briffa, vice-chairman of JA-YE.
The programme helps develop personal attributes and skills, such as creativity, a sense of initiative, risk-taking, autonomy, leadership and team spirit.
"The benefits of entrepreneurship education are therefore not limited to boosting start-ups, innovative ventures and new jobs. Entrepreneurship should be seen as a competence for all, helping young people be more creative and self-confident in whatever they undertake," Ms Farrugia says.
Through a hands-on approach, 16- to 19-year-olds also learn how to plan and prioritise, overcome challenges and find solutions, manage their own time and communicate effectively.
Louisa Dingli and Thomas Naudi, from the YE company Hooked, say YE was an exciting experience that changed their lives.
"YE has been the highlight of my first year at Sixth Form. It made me grow personally and educationally. I never imagined I would start up a company and be able to watch it grow. I learnt how to manage my time better, work more confidently and solve any problem. It has left quite an impact and I know it changed me for the better," says Louisa.
Thomas, who was managing director of his 'company', has developed a keen interest for business. "The more I got into it, the more I loved it. Studying marketing and accounts, I saw the theory I learnt being put into practice. YE is an excellent eye-opener for future employees, be it in the field of business or any other sector," he said.
For Nicole Attard, who was involved in the company Spectrum, "it was nine months of hard work but it taught me all I needed to know to run a business. Working in a team was sometimes hard, but it made me realise that effective communication is vital. It was a great adventure."
John Spiteri Maempel, from Solergy, said YE helped him develop mostly as a person. "Through the programme, I acquired skills, such as charisma, leadership, teamwork and communication. The events were memorable and the competition was fierce but friendly.
The experience helped me become more independent and confident."
Through her company Rticulate, Rena Camilleri learnt how to be tolerant. She learnt to delegate and work with people she didn't like and couldn't get on with.
How to participate
The HSBC Company of the Year programme, to be launched on Friday, should not only appeal to students of business studies and those who see business as a career, but also as an opportunity to be experienced by all students, whatever their background and academic competence.
Sixth Form and Mcast students in their first year are encouraged to form a team, register a company, and come up with an innovative idea for a product or service. Parents should also encourage this and support their children to actively participate.
The programme promises to be a jam-packed, challenging and adventurous experience that is not only educational in nature, but fun and exciting. Students will get the opportunity to travel and network with foreign counterparts when participating at the European Trade Fair, to be held in Lisbon early next year. The winning team will challenge winners from all over Europe at the European Competition, which will take place in Sardinia in July.
For more information, or to register, log on to www.youngenterprise.org.mt or call JA-YE on 2124 4991.