JA offers hands-on experience at a young age

Claire Ryan’s latest FUSION Saint John article appeared in today’s Telegraph-Journal:

As the school year gets into full swing, Junior Achievement of Southwestern New Brunswick has begun looking for business-minded Saint Johners to volunteer as advisers for one of its extra-curricular initiatives, the Company Program.

This program, open to students in Grades 9 through 12, encourages participants to learn by doing as they organize and operate their own company, which allows them to learn the basics of entrepreneurial economics and business leadership first-hand.

“It’s a good opportunity for students to get hands-on experience at a young age,” say Gary Pitre, program manager for JA. A team of six volunteer advisers works with each student company, and provides counsel on issues ranging from marketing to product selection to liquidation. Advisers are responsible for attending company meetings, offering guidance and giving feedback to the company executive. By sharing their expertise and counsel, they help keep students on track, but the students are ultimately responsible for making the tough business decisions and pointing the company in the right direction.

“It’s very rewarding to see how far these students can go and how much they can learn in a fairly short period of time,” says Greg Cashin, a member of the local council for JA in Saint John. “Advisers can learn just as much from these students as the students can learn from them. They have amazing grasp on technology and such great ideas on how to use these tools to market their product.”

The current team of advisers has a diverse cross-section of occupations, experience and backgrounds. They include stay-at-home moms and retirees, as well as representatives from a number of local companies: Xerox, IBM, Irving, CIBC, Aliant, UNBSJ, NBCC-SJ, TD Bank, Saint John Board of Trade, Exxon Mobile and Canaport LNG. This diversity means students can acquire a broad range of skills by working with people who have a variety of perspectives, from which they can learn from and draw upon as they build relationships with their classmates, colleagues and customers.

“Getting involved in these types of things and supporting these programs will ultimately make Saint John a more vibrant place,” Cashin said.

Through a number of different initiatives, including the Company Program, JA has helped Saint John students grasp the fundamentals of entrepreneurship for 25 years, giving countless students a chance to learn about conducting business.

By creating an opportunity to learn about the components of a successful enterprise, students have a headstart in thinking about how these principles apply not only to their own business, but to the world around them, giving them a better understanding of how their community works outside the walls of their high school.

The 18-week program starts in October, and adviser training will begin Sept. 22. For more information, please contact jast@nb.aibn.com.

Claire Ryan works with MT&L Public Relations Ltd. and is a member of the FUSION Saint John board. Her column appears on Tuesdays. She can be reached at cryan@mtlpr.ca.