Final Report of the Expert Group - European Commission - Europa

1. Students (age 16) participate in the Young Enterprise student company programme in theirsecond class. (Learning by doing). In the programme, achievers set up and run their owncompany throughout one academic year. They elect a board of directors from amongst theirpeers, raise share capital, and market and finance a product or service of their own choice.They deal with real money, produce real products, and take part in trade fairs. At the end ofthe year they liquidate the company and present a report and accounts.2. The next step takes place through theoretical business studies. (age 17-18)3. Students participate in a Practice Firm (age 19) to acquire special vocational knowledge.The training method involves a room of a suitable size and up-to-date technical equipment aswell as a fictitious enterprise. The training provided supplements and deepens theoreticalknowledge, providing opportunities for the most practical learning and simulation of theworld of commerce and business activities. Activities are directly or indirectly related to theoperation of an actual enterprise. The office has established a relationship with the enterpriseon which the fictitious one is modelled and the model office is copying its operations, usingits business documents etc.4. Finally, the school has an incubator-house and programme, giving students the possibilityto develop their own real business.Contact:Business Polytechnicwww.poli.hu3.7. Junior Achievement Student Company Programme (Estonia)The student company programme is offered by Junior Achievement Estonia. Participants arehigher secondary school students, mostly age 16-18, but also from lower secondary school(age 13-15). The programme is developed for not more than one school year, and normallyruns for five months. Students work under the supervision of a consultant or (more often) ateacher who has received training in facilitating student companies.A student company may involve the whole class of students (rarely) or smaller groups (3-7persons). Students decide upon the product or service, choose their managers and sell sharesto raise capital. They produce or order the product made to their design. They sell the productand keep accounts. During the school year, students participate in local and national studentcompany trade fairs. At the end of the period they present a report to JA Estonia.Schools and teachers are prepared by Junior Achievement Estonia. The first step is initialtraining of teachers in the methodology of teaching and facilitating student companies. Afterthat, advanced training is regularly offered. Also, permanent advice is given to schools andteachers using the student company programme by specialists of Junior Achievement Estonia.In training sessions, the specific competence of business people and universities is used.Learning materials have been developed by Junior Achievement Estonia to be used bystudents and by teachers.A great source of business volunteers is alumni who have graduated from the programme andcome back to support teachers. A new programme has been started to teach them how tobecome junior advisors for younger ones at schools. Through this programme a dual benefiteffect is expected: for student companies, who get fresh experience and excitement from theirpeers and also for older students, who get their first teaching experience.25