T he Junior Achievement Young Enterprise Malta Foundation has been granted MQF Level 3 Accreditation – equivalent to an O’ Level – just ahead of its 30th anniversary.
The non-profit entrepreneurship education organisation Junior Achievement Young Enterprise Malta Foundation (JAYE) – now in its 30th year – has achieved O’ Level recognition by the National Commission for Further and Higher Education. Two of the JAYE Malta non-formal award programmes – the post-secondary Company Programme and the middle and Secondary Programmes – have been granted Level 3 accreditation within the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF 3).
Commenting on this important milestone, Julian Azzopardi, CEO of JAYE Malta Foundation, said: “Our new MQF 3 accreditation validates the efforts this organisation has put into ensuring that students at every educational level are given the opportunity to participate in hands-on and experiential activities in entrepreneurship.”
Who is JAYE?
As a member of the European organisation, Junior Achievement Europe, JAYE Malta has been creating opportunities for young Maltese people to acquire practical experience in entrepreneurship, bridging the gap between the theoretical and practical components of business. “The efforts of our young achievers following our middle school and secondary programmes, as well as our sixth-form Company Programme, is now formally recognised as equivalent to one O’ Level,” Mr Azzopardi continues.
Since its founding in 1988, over 7,000 students have taken part in the JAYE Malta Company Programme, which gives sixth form students the opportunity to explore the world of work in a safe, yet immersive manner. Through the introduction of programmes and activities at primary and secondary school level, an additional 3,000+ young people have started their entrepreneurial journey at an even younger age. “We believe that early intervention and early exposure to what employment opportunities lie ahead of students is critical for their own personal development, and helps to build a generation of productive, conscientious and responsible workers in the future,” says Mr Azzopardi.
JAYE’s Non-Formal Education Programmes
The non-formal education programmes offered by JAYE Malta are open to people between the ages of eight and 30 who attend academic or vocational educational institutions. All activities are facilitated by individual volunteers from the industry who share their own experiences with students, enabling the discussion to take place in a local context. Aside from the invaluable guidance and advice provided by the volunteers, students are empowered to develop an array of skills such as such as team building, time management and risk assessment – in an enjoyable and highly-interactive environment.
Celebrating 30 Years of Achievement
The news of this recently-achieved accreditation – a major milestone for the Foundation – was announced ahead of the JAYE Malta 30th Anniversary Celebration, which will be held at the InterContinental Malta on 6 December at 7.30pm. This dinner will bring together JAYE alumni, mentors, teachers, partners, stakeholders and friends to continue on this journey of educating, empowering and inspiring young people to reach their full potential across the educational spectrum.
“We have seen Maltese young people win European competitions with their business acumen and innovation four times at sixth-form level, and once at university level. With a number of celebrated countries within the Junior Achievement European network, we are very proud of our achievers’ success – but we are determined to take our journey even further. We look forward to reconnecting with as many JAYE alumni and mentors as possible at our 30th anniversary event,” Mr Azzopardi concludes.
The JAYE Malta 30th Anniversary Celebration will be held at the InterContinental Malta on 6 December at 7.30pm. For more information, visit www.jayemalta.org or follow @JayeMalta on Facebook.
