News

New partnership with PMIEF will build the project management skills of JA Europe youth and professionals continent-wide

Junior Achievement (JA) Europe is pleased to announce its collaboration with the PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF), the supporting charitable organization of Project Management Institute (PMI), to integrate project management into the JA Company Programme and to support the professional development of the organization’s staff in project management through fundamentals training and expert coaching. The partnership commenced in November with a pro bono training provided by Dell® professionals through the Dell Volunteer Project Management (DVPM) initiative to 65 staff members from JA Europe and 29 European countries.

PMIEF's support will enable JA Europe to integrate project management into the JA Company Programme in 21 member organizations, reaching an estimated 293,000 young people by the end of the partnership in 2023. As a result, students will learn and apply project management to the mini-enterprise they launch as well as to their pursuit of academic and professional aspirations beyond the Programme. PMIEF's mission is to enable youth to realize their potential and to transform lives through project management, inspiring them to achieve their goals. Through grants, educational resources, training and coaching, and the volunteerism of the PMI global community, PMIEF cultivates long-term relationships with non-profits worldwide to help them integrate project management in their youth programmes and to build their own project management capacity. 

"The world is becoming increasingly projectized and requires youth to strengthen the skills necessary to successfully compete in the 21st century", said Olivier Lazar, PMIEF Chief Operating Officer and PMI Vice President of Strategic Alliances. "PMIEF partners with the world's leading organizations like JA Europe to ensure young people possess the critical competencies they need to not only achieve their academic and professional goals, but to also lead with empathy so they make a meaningful difference in people's lives."

This new partnership aligns with JA Europe’s mission to ensure that youth acquire and apply the competences necessary to launch their own business to succeed in today’s global economy, and that they make prudent financial decisions. Doing so fosters young people’s social mobility and financial inclusion so they prepare for better futures for themselves, their family, and their community. The Company Programme is a JA flagship initiative that inspires and motivates teams of youth aged 15-19 to either solve a problem or fulfill an unmet need by designing, executing, managing, marketing and monitoring a mini-enterprise they develop.

"In order to inspire and equip Europe's youth with the necessary skills to succeed in the global economy, Junior Achievement staff also needs to constantly upskill and reskill. PMIEF will enable us to better serve the next generation in these challenging times and we are thrilled to embark on this joint adventure”, said Salvatore Nigro, CEO JA Europe.

About JA Europe

JA Europe is the largest non-profit in Europe dedicated to preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship. JA Europe is a member of JA Worldwide® which for 100 years has delivered hands on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy. JA creates pathways for employability, job creation and financial success. Last school year, the JA network in Europe reached almost 4 million young people across 40 countries with the support of nearly 100,000 business volunteers and over 140,000 teachers/educators.

About PMIEF

PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF) is a 501(c)(3) supporting organization of the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world's leading not-for-profit professional membership association for those who consider project, program, or portfolio management their profession. Founded in 1990, PMIEF cultivates long-term relationships with nonprofits across the globe to help them integrate project management in their youth programs and to build their own project management capacity. The Foundation achieves its mission to “enable youth to realize their potential and transform lives through project management” and its vision for “inspiring youth to achieve their goals, making dreams a reality” by investing in high-quality organizations that exemplify a commitment to preparing young people for 21st century success and an appreciation for both the societal application and value of project management. Visit PMIEF.org for more information.