Junior Achievement and PwC Cyprus successfully implement youth programmes

PwC, a strategic partner of Junior Achievement, and a long-time supporter of initiatives aimed at strengthening youth entrepreneurship and innovation, has contributed for yet another year to the successful implementation of the ‘Company Programme’ and ‘Our Community’ programme.

In a relevant announcement, the organisation congratulated all students who participated in the Company of the Year 2023 competition and wished the best of luck to the 'Freshies' team, from G.C. School, which will represent Cyprus in the JA Europe Competition, which will be held in Istanbul in July 2023.

It is worth noting that more than 20 PwC executives volunteered as mentors to the student groups of the ‘Company Programme,’ guiding and supporting them every step of the way. Moreover, PwC organised a small trade fair in the organisation's premises in Nicosia, where the students had the opportunity to present their ideas and products, promoting their business activity to many of PwC’s staff members.

The student companies were created within the framework of the ‘Company Programme’ that is implemented both in the public and the private high schools of the country, offering all students the opportunity to discover in practice how a firm operates, but also how a business idea is developed and implemented, from its initial conception to the creation of their own business.

In addition to the first award for the ‘Company of the Year 2023’ and the awards for the second and third place, the student-entrepreneurs were presented with special awards to distinguish, for example, the most innovative idea, the best communication strategy, the highest sales, the best logo, the best video, and the best annual report.

Equally important was PwC's contribution to the ‘Our Community’ programme, which is aimed at 3rd-grade students and is implemented free of charge in public and private schools throughout Cyprus. It is an interactive educational programme of five modules, which were presented to the class by PwC volunteers with the aim, among other things, to introduce the students to the concept of careers; to understand that each job requires specific skills; to understand how citizens benefit by contributing to the success of a community, but also how all professions contribute towards community flourishing.

This year the programme was attended by 353 primary school students.

Supporting innovation and encouraging youth entrepreneurship has always been at the core of PwC Cyprus' operations and recently joined one of the three pillars of the newly established non-profit PwC Foundation. The Foundation is a pioneering decision of the organisation, which, with a high sense of responsibility and contribution, now focuses its social action on strengthening the local community and improving the quality of people's lives by providing diverse support in three pillars: Education & Culture, Entrepreneurship, and Offering our hearts & minds.

The CEO of PwC Cyprus, Philippos Soseilos, stated: "The people of PwC constantly demonstrate their commitment to society and especially to young people, with their participation in various voluntary actions becoming greater every year. Through our many years of collaboration with Junior Achievement, not only the children benefit, but we benefit too, since we become recipients of new ideas and perceptions."