News

JA Europe-Citi Foundation partnership kicks off to increase youth entrepreneurship in Europe

JA Europe and the Citi Foundation have renewed their partnership and will continue to foster entrepreneurship in Europe at secondary and post-secondary education level. As part of the Citi Foundation’s global Pathways to Progress initiative the Foundation will support the JA Company Programme and Start Up Programme, both of which help prepare young people to thrive in today’s economy. Students will be equipped with invaluable skills in both entrepreneurship and financial literacy. 

Support from partners such as the Citi Foundation has allowed JA programmes to grow and increase their impact each year. Last year alone, over 300,000 students across Europe participated in the JA Company Programme, a 14% increase from the previous year. 

In the 2015-2016 school year, the Citi Foundation is helping bring practical entrepreneurial experiences to 18 European countries and aiming to reach over 42,000 students, with the mentorship of more than 170 Citi volunteers.

"The Citi Foundation and the Economist Intelligence Unit recently launched new research showing that European cities perform relatively poorly in comparison to their global counterparts in terms of enterprise education, making programmes like these essential to prepare young people for the world of work. JA is a key community partner under the Citi Foundation’s Pathway to Progress initiative, a global effort to catalyse economic opportunities for young people" says Rachael Barber, Head of Community Development EMEA, Citi.

JA Programmes are teaching students since 1919, how to build their own enterprise from bottom to top, giving them a glimpse into the business world and offering them the opportunities to experience running a company first-hand.

As youth unemployment remains at an all-time high, it is crucial to better prepare young people to meet the ever-changing demands of today’s global markets (Generation Jobless Report). By bringing the business and education worlds together to support these programmes, JA Europe and the Citi Foundation are actively working to fight youth unemployment and the skills gap in Europe. 

“We are proud to renew our partnership with the Citi Foundation, an organisation that is dedicated to promoting economic progress globally. During tough economic times, young people are among the worst hit. Citi Foundation understands that entrepreneurship education and financial literacy give young people a big advantage as they transition from school to work. We look forward to the collaboration. We know it’s working,” shared Caroline Jenner, CEO for JA Europe.

####

About JA Europe

JA Europe (www.jaeurope.org) is Europe’s largest provider of education programmes for entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy, reaching 3.5 million students in 39 countries in 2015. It was founded in 2001 when Young Enterprise Europe and Junior Achievement International Europe merged. JA works with the education and business communities as well as governments to provide young people from primary school to university with experiences that build the skills and competences they will need to succeed in a global economy. JA’s activities have been endorsed as best practice by the European Commission. JA Europe is the European Regional Operating Centre for JA Worldwide®.

About Citi 

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi 

About Citi Foundation

The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation's "More than Philanthropy" approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, visit www.citifoundation.com. 

For press enquiries, please contact:

Marie Hargitt
JA Europe Communications
+32 (0)2 893 4436
marie@jaeurope.org

Citi
Edwina Frawley-Gangahar
+442075082340