2010-Junior Achievement Creates Alumni Success

8/8/2019 2010-Junior Achievement Creates Alumni Success

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Junior

Achievement Creates Alumni Success



JUNIOR ACHIEVEME NT WWW.JA.ORG 1

JA Builds Confdence

While Building Success

“Junior Achievement taught me how to have condencein running my own nancial lie. It gave me experiencesthat I would not have had that expanded my horizons. Tosee others in the world o work made me see that I coulddo the same.”

—JA alumnus

The 21st-century workplace is demanding, requiring sophisticated skills,

a strong work ethic, proessionalism and personal responsibility. JA gives

students the tools they need to create personal fnancial and economic

security and success. But Junior Achievement does even more; it provides

an advanced skills set, including critical thinking, eective teamwork, and

leadership, that enables Junior Achievement participants to grow, thrive and

produce in many critical areas o their lives.

The goal o the 2010 Junior Achievement Alumni Retrospective Survey was

to gauge JA alumni’s levels o skill-based confdence in this 21st-century work

arena, as compared to those who did not participate in Junior Achievement.

Across the board, JA graduates reported more confdence in succeeding

with work-readiness objectives, such as personal money management, acing

a job interview, and demonstrating a competitive edge on the job. Research

shows that increased confdence in one’s ability leads to sound decision-

making, determination, action, and healthy risk-taking.

The results o this Alumni Survey illustrate the sel-assurance and abilities

that JA alumni are using to build a solid oundation o fnancial security andcareer accomplishment that will beneft the world economy. Read on or more

insight into JA’s positive and lasting impact on young people’s economic and

entrepreneurship skills, career choices and success.






JA Sharpens

the Competitive Edge Young people currently entering the working world ace a tight job market.

That’s why Junior Achievement is so crucial. JA participants gain an

understanding o what it takes to be successul in the business world, as well

as the sel-assurance to compete or the job o their dreams or to build their

own company.

The overwhelming majority—92 percent—o JA alumni indicate they can

compete successully in the business environment, and 95 percent say theycan eectively handle a job interview. Isn’t that to be expected? Apparently

not—JA grads have a 50-percent-higher work confdence level and a nearly

20-percent-higher interview confdence level than those who did not have the

beneft o the JA experience. In addition, 76 percent o JA alumni say they

have the skills to start their own businesses, as opposed to 41 percent o

non-JA respondents.

JA Alumni No JA

“Junior Achievement helped me gure out the direction

I needed to take ater high school. Learning about

business, entrepreneurship, and leadership helped me

realize I can overcome challenges and get what I want in

lie by working hard.”

—JA alumnus

How much confdence do you have that you could …

Compete successully

in a business

environment?

Start your own

business?

Successully

complete a

job interview?

0

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%92%

45%

0

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

41%

0

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

76%76%

95%

Confdence is defned as a 4 or 5 rating on the fve-point scale with fve being completely confdent.






JA Enhances

Employee Productivity As a result o technological and market innovation and global economic

instability, the U.S. fnancial industry has become more sophisticated over

the past ew years. Consumer responsibilities or banking, credit, investment

and retirement have increased and require baseline skills or personal

budget management. Employees who lack necessary fnancial knowledge

oten suer negative consequences, including stress, distraction,

absenteeism, decreased productivity and depression, which can aect their

perormance in the workplace.

Almost nine out o 10—or 88 percent—o Junior Achievement alumni report

they are confdent in their ability to manage their personal fnances eectively,

in comparison to 71 percent o those who did not have the beneft o the

JA experience. So, JA alumni seem to have an easier time keeping their

fnances in order, which could give them more time to ocus on their

job responsibilities and career objectives. Wise decision-making could

contribute to reduced stress and increased job security.

How confdent are you in your ability to manage

your personal fnances eectively?

Completelyconfdent

Completelyconfdent

Confdent

Confdent

Neither

Neither

63% 37%

25%

34%

8%

20%

2%6%

1% 3%Not very

confdent

Not very

confdent

Not confdent it all Not confdent it all

“JA helped me make better lie choices. It is very

relevant not only in business but in day-to-day lie.”

—JA alumnus

JA Alumni No JA

Responses may not total 100 percent due to rounding.


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In a world where

personal moneymanagement can affect

career progress, JA alumni are

secure in the strength of their

nancial skills.

”Junior Achievement taught me about

managing nances and how money worksin the real world.”

—JA alumnus



JA Promotes

Personal SuccessJA alumni credit Junior Achievement with helping them develop skills and

confdence they can use throughout their lives to build proessional and

personal success.

While only 82 percent o non-JA respondents believe they can unction well

on a business team, 96 percent o JA alumni report that Junior Achievement

makes them confdent about working eectively in a team environment.

In addition, 88 percent o alumni say JA helped them hone their decision-making skills, and 85 percent indicate that they have strengthened their

interpersonal communication skills through JA.

“Junior Achievement gave me the skill sets I need,

leadership training, and motivation to excel.”

—JA alumnus

JA strengthened the ollowing skills or me:

Problem-

solving

Decision-

solving

Critical

thinking

Interpersonal

communication

0 0 0 0

20% 20% 20% 20%

40% 40% 40% 40%

60% 60% 60% 60%

80% 80% 80% 80%

100% 100% 100% 100%

88% 85% 85% 82%

JA Alumni

Responses include those indicating agreement or strong agreement.



JA Generates

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship, or the creation o a new business or enterprise, is an integral

and signifcant activity in building a strong U.S. economy and a growing

job market. That’s why Junior Achievement’s emphasis on understanding

small business development and acquiring strong management skills is so

important. Almost eight out o 10—or 76 percent—o JA alumni reported

confdence in starting their own businesses, while only our out o 10—or

41 percent—o the comparison group reported confdence in accomplishing

this objective.

“[In JA,] I learned a lot about dierent perspectives o the

business world. I learned to challenge mysel to ‘do what

it takes’ to make things happen and used these skills

to work in elds ranging rom broadcasting, to business

ownership, to my current position, which allows me to

ulll my passion, serve my community, and provide or

my amily, with the fexibility o working out o my home.”

—JA alumnus



Documents

2010-Junior Achievement Creates Alumni Success