JA Worldwide nominated for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. Read more.

News

New partnership with UBS to inspire young people to consider careers in finance

28 June 2021

Junior Achievement Europe (JA Europe) is thrilled to announce a new partnership with UBS with the aim of building the talent pipeline needed to empower and guide young people from school to work, inspiring them to consider careers in banking and finance. The first activities in 6 European countries will equip 2,000 students with the skills needed to get a job or start their own business, thanks to the help of 130 UBS highly motivated volunteers on the ground.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the global economy; unfortunately, experts have not yet agreed about how long the recession will last. In addition to previous challenges, such as elevated structural unemployment in some European countries, thousands of unemployed people due to this crisis will have to be re-skilled to find a new job. Furthermore, the current pace of change in the economy is so fast that the jobs of today may have already changed by the time young people finish their education. Businesses, industry, civil society and governments are all looking for creative and entrepreneurial people, but educational systems are not always providing the next generation with the right tools.

Therefore, running education programmes aiming to equip students with the skills needed to find jobs or become entrepreneurs has always been at the core of Junior Achievement’s mission. JA’s flagship programme – the JA Company Programme – guides students aged 15-18 from the idea conception phase to the creation of their own ventures. In this context, the collaboration with UBS will provide funding and volunteer support in 6 different locations in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland and Spain)  through the “Youth Empowerment Through Skills-Based Volunteering” initiative.

All activities will take place online, with the support of UBS employees who will share their time and expertise to help the students in the Company Programme develop their entrepreneurial skills and create their social ventures. Through coaching, mentoring or judging opportunities, 130 highly motivated UBS volunteers will be engaged in different activities on the ground, becoming inspiring models for JA students, particularly for those considering careers in investment banking and financial services.

Supporting our local communities through skills-based volunteering has been a core competent of UBS’s Community Affairs program since its outset. Our employee volunteers use their skills and expertise to inspire the young people we work with in our local communities. Our collaboration with Junior Achievement across EMEA is a testament to the positive impact we can make when we partner with organizations who share our passion to build a brighter future for young people.” – Nick Wright, Global Lead, UBS Community Affairs.

Inspiring role models and mentors are at the core of JA’s programmes because of their life-changing impact on young people. Through this collaboration with UBS on skills-based volunteering, we will together empower the next generation of Europeans to consider careers in finance and prepare them for their future success”, 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 UBS

UBS provides financial advice and solutions to wealthy, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as private clients in Switzerland. UBS is the largest truly global wealth manager, and a leading personal and corporate bank in Switzerland, with a large-scale and diversified global asset manager and a focused investment bank. The bank focuses on businesses that have a strong competitive position in their targeted markets, are capital efficient, and have an attractive long-term structural growth or profitability outlook. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, UBS has offices over 50 regions and locations, including all major financial centers, and employs over 68,000 people around the world. 

We updated our privacy policy which has been specifically adjusted to reflect the new GDPR regulation Learn more.

I accept cookies from this site: