Stories

My journey to entrepreneurship

My JA journey started in a small high school in South London, on September 28, 2013. I sat down in the corner of a classroom, a quiet sixteen-year-old - still confused about what I had signed up for. I had never studied business, no experience of making money and the thought of running my own enterprise was about as ridiculous an idea I could think. Little did I know I had just begun the year-long programme that would change my life!
From concept to reality

In September 2014 we founded the mini-company RAUTECK, an acronym for ‘Recycled Autoparts Eckernförde’ – Eckernförde being our hometown in Germany. We were able to do this because we participated in the Junior Achievement (JA) Company Programme, an initiative which teaches students how to start and run their own company during one school year.
Gaining a global perspective in business and teamwork

The Global Enterprise Project (GEP) competition is one of the finest events that I’ve been to. Suddenly you are in a new team with different students, learning new skills, new stories and coming together to work on one project.
Volunteering to drive entrepreneurship and innovation in Europe

As a Barclays employee, I have had the opportunity to work with JA Europe twice as a business volunteer. The Innovation Camps in Madrid have given both volunteers and students alike access to a truly unique experience that goes beyond expectations. In just a few hours students are able to discover what means to be an entrepreneur, and volunteers the chance to share their expertise and enjoy a very refreshing experience with tomorrow’s leaders.
5 JA Questions for Petr Andrýsek, JA Alumnus & Founder/CEO of Socialsharks

As a young student, the JA Company Programme connected the dots between education and business, teaching us how to negotiate and putting us in contact with real companies. Such opportunities, at such a young age, really helped me begin to understand the realities of the business world. Many students might not appreciate the importance of these connections in the moment, but for your future career it’s a huge leap forward.