Junior Achievement Isle of Man has gained endorsement from the Island’s largest private sector employer. Greg Ellison, Managing Director of Barclays Private Clients International Limited, has accepted an invitation to join the programme’s board.
Mr Ellison said ‘I was so impressed by the board of Junior Achievement – the members’ experience, vision, passion and motivation, and the organisations they represent – that I was pleased to become part of a programme that has the potential to make a very real difference.’
2009 is the second year in which Barclays Wealth is providing sponsorship and volunteers to Junior Achievement. Mr Ellison continued ‘We will always need talented young people in all areas of our business such as IT systems, customer service teams and the contact centres. And as the largest private sector employer on the Island, I believe that through Junior Achievement we can help influence the calibre of people entering the workplace.
‘Junior Achievement’s programmes teach real-life skills. It’s a multi-disciplinary model that helps stimulate young people’s minds and channel their thoughts about their future, and it offers a level of support I wish I’d had when I was at school. It’s asking a lot of a fourteen year old to make major career decisions. But what Junior Achievement does is shape that thought process; it’s not just about careers, it’s about helping them think what they want to do with the rest of their life.’
As a Junior Achievement volunteer, Mr Ellison recently spent a day teaching personal economics at St Ninian’s High School. ‘It was a whole different dynamic from talking to members of our leadership team or clients. What came over while working with the pupils was that with all the sources of information open to young people today it’s more important than ever that they develop the skills to help them make the right choices in life.
'And while the programme I was involved in taught young people about basic personal finance, it also gave them an opportunity to talk about themselves, their hopes and ambitions, helped them develop interpersonal skills and how to present themselves. Volunteering at St Ninian’s also demonstrated to me how Junior Achievement can help bridge the gap between academic life and the world outside school.
‘Junior Achievement fits well with Barclays Wealth’s commitment to community involvement. There’s a schedule of events I’ll be looking to my colleagues to support as not only is the programme good for the community, but also it encourages self-development in our team members.
‘I believe there’s a huge opportunity for the Isle of Man to embrace Junior Achievement and help the Island compete in Europe and further afield on a level far beyond this nation’s size and resources.’
