Blog

Making European youth resilient and ready for the future

Therese Noorlander, Sustainability Director, Coca-Cola Europe & Salvatore Nigro, CEO, JA Europe

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, its impact grows across the globe. Thousands of businesses, of all sizes, are threatened and entire parts of the economy such as the tourism industry and the hospitality sectors are in jeopardy. In this challenging context, businesses and individuals’ resilience is being put to a test. 

The JA Europe network and Coca-Cola in Europe and its bottling partners have teamed up over the past years to develop and implement entrepreneurship and employability education programs that contribute to helping the younger generation to build their resilience, adapt to the ongoing challenges and be better prepared for their future professional lives. 

This is our shared mission: prepare young people for this journey of development, provide them with knowledge, attitudes and skills for life and improve their access to entrepreneurship.

Blended learning experiences boost girls’ entrepreneurial and digital skills

Milena Stoycheva, CEO of JA Bulgaria

Over the last 9 months, close to 600 girls aged between 12 and 18 have taken part in 20 workshops dedicated to digital and entrepreneurial skills. The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and a consortium of Junior Achievement offices, composed of JA Bulgaria, JA Greece, JA Lithuania, JA Romania, JA Serbia and JA Europe, together with our partner Apps for Good, teamed up to deliver trainings to equip young girls with the entrepreneurial and digital skills essential for their future working lives and support the EU’s Digital Education Action Plan.

Steering young girls into scientific studies with a unique experience

Emma Kiraly, Project Manager, Entrepreneurial Skills Pass

On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, one can only notice that the gender gap between boys and girls completing studies in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is still wide: there are twice as many male graduates in STEM as there are female graduates (see this report from the European Commission from 2019).

How can talent become the biggest source of growth for Europe?

Julie Linn Teigland, EY EMEIA Area Managing Partner and EY Global Leader – Women. Fast forward. Member of the JA Europe Board

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has the ambition of building a Europe that is fit for the digital age. I am not only supportive of this ambition, I believe that to make it a reality, we need European talent that is fit for the digital age.

Principals are the best ambassadors for Entrepreneurship Education in European schools

Minna Melleri, EE-Hub Director

While more and more students across Europe have a hands-on experience while at school, many still do not have the opportunity. Headmasters and principals play a key role in the uptake and development of entrepreneurship education within their schools and the broader education systems. Recent research from Finland tells us what tools and methodologies make a difference.