A group of Cayman’s future business leaders recently enjoyed a life-changing experience when they attended an international Junior Achievement forum whose goal is to provide these motivated young people the tools to succeed in a global economy.

JA Canada’s annual Next Generation Leaders forum, held 12-18 August in Halifax, Nova Scotia, brought together more than 150 top youth leaders from 10 countries, for business-focused presentations and workshops. The event culminated with the Ultimate Business Challenge where delegates got the chance to use the knowledge they gained to create business models that take advantage of a real-world opportunity.

Eight of Cayman’s highest performing Junior Achievers were chosen out of over 200 young people who take part every year in the JA Company Programme to attend the forum, offering them an incredible opportunity to learn from business experts and academics while interacting with future entrepreneurs from around the world.

The theme for the 42nd annual NGL forum, “innovation.insight.inspiration”, set the tone for the event which culminated in the participants working together in small groups to try to create new business opportunities for one of Canada’s largest shipbuilding projects, worth $30 billion, for the port of Halifax.

In addition to the young people from Cayman, participants represented Canada, the Bahamas, China, Denmark, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Norway, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and the US. The forum offered a truly multinational, multicultural experience for the young delegates while they learned the value of teamwork, developed new skills, fostered relationships and acquired valuable global perspectives.

The young achievers from Cayman found the experience invaluable. Kendra Ebanks described her week there as “building friendships, acquiring life-changing wisdom, while moving another step ahead in the business world as entrepreneurs.”

Added Jason Foster: “I can hardly express how wonderful the experience was and how grateful I am for being awarded this great honour.”

Moses Ebanks spoke to the benefits of JA as a whole. “Junior Achievement has truly opened my eyes to the operations of the business world,” he said. “I feel as though I have gained a wealth of knowledge from participating in such a programme. JA has led me into finding my preferred field of study and without it I feel like I wouldn’t have the right mindset to aim towards studying business. It is a truly dynamic and remarkable programme that anyone can excel in, given that they keep a steady focus.”

The other Cayman students chosen to attend the forum were Chester Frederick, Danielle Connolly, Brooke Parchment, Erin Powell and Kimberly Young.

Teresa Owen Foster, Programme Director of JA Cayman and Ambassador Chaperone for the trip, said, “I cannot believe how much these young people grew in the space of a week. Watching and listening to their discussions and presentations, as they expressed an overall understanding of business, innovation and technology in today’s world, humbled even the most educated minds in attendance. I see these youth going on to accomplish great things and I am so proud to be a part of that.”

For 42 years, the NGL forum has been providing students with the confidence, belief and direction to be successful in business life and for the past two decades JA Cayman Islands has been sending young delegates to this event.

Paul Byles, President of Junior Achievement in Cayman, pointed out that the forum is a great annual event, representing yet another benefit to students who participate in Junior Achievement in the Cayman Islands. “We are always extremely proud to see how the Cayman students perform at this wonderful leadership event each year,” he said, adding, “Attendance at this event is just one of the many ways that JA Cayman Islands continues to contribute positively to the development of our youth as we focus on nurturing our next generation of business leaders.”

Each year JA Cayman Islands recruits over 200 students into the Company Programme, partnering groups of about 20 young people with corporate mentors.  The overall focus of each 18-week programme is to create a business from the ground up by raising capital, electing officers, developing a product which will be marketed and sold, and finally liquidating the company.  For more information on how to get involved, visit our website: www.jacayman.ky or drop us an email at [email protected].

About Junior Achievement of the Cayman Islands

Junior Achievement of the Cayman Islands is a not-for-profit association and is funded through the generous contributions from the business community and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprising representatives appointed by Rotary Central, the Chamber of Commerce and elected associate members.