Business leaders from across Galway and Mayo joined educators from primary, second and third levels and students to celebrate Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI ) industry and education partnerships across the region this week. MetLife, a supporting organisation of JAI since 2014, hosted the event at the company’s office in Galway.
JAI is the largest non-profit organisation of its kind with the global network (JA Worldwide ) nominated for the Nobel Peace prize in both 2022 and 2023 because of its global impact. JAI recruits, trains and supports volunteers from business and industry to facilitate opportunities for students to learn employability and entrepreneurship skills, improve their financial literacy and understand the importance of STEM.
Attendees were welcomed by Paul Lyons, CIO Ireland & EMEA Programs MetLife before handing over to Moderator Mary Rodgers, Chief Executive Officer Galway City Innovation District. Mary invited attendees to consider the challenge of how we can balance employees’ desire for flexibility with the need to maintain links with each other as colleagues and the communities in which our organisations are based (which are not always the same communities in which team members are based ). To help with the deliberations Barry Winkless, Chief Strategy Officer at Cpl Group & Head of the Future of Work Institute was invited to share his views.
Generating some new thinking on the matter of the future of work, Barry shared some fascinating insights based on the research that he and his colleagues at Cpl Future of Work Institute have collated. These included some consideration of workplace as a theme park and balancing the advantages of remote working with the fundamental ongoing human need for social interaction. Barry is regarded as one of the leading experts on the future of work and the audience were left with lots to mull over after his thought-provoking address.
The panel comprising: Barry Winkless, Lorna Martyn, Ireland Regional Chair and Senior Vice President, Technology, Fidelity Investments; and Olive Cullinane, Head of HR, Ireland, Poland & EMEA Global Functions; discussed the points raised on the future of work and related the findings outlined with their experiences and their organisations’ plans.
In an engaging discussion the panel exchanged views on how our approach to employee engagement must adapt to post pandemic working practices while also ensuring employees have opportunities that support connectedness and community, either as individuals to their organisation or in teams within the organisation. All agreed that volunteering is a strategic enabler for employee engagement and retention while acknowledging that such opportunities must align with both company values and that of individual employees.
As one example of how volunteering can achieve all those goals, a group of students who had completed a JA in-classroom programme with a local business volunteer were invited to share their feedback.
6th class students from Claddagh NS described their experience of the ‘Our World’ programme which was delivered by business volunteer Lisa Casey from Fidelity Investments. The students convinced all in attendance as to the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM ). The students’ showcase included a sample of their engineering constructions, key messages about sustainability as well as an outline of their app design which they had developed during the five-week JA programme. A very impressive group of students that reinforced the impact that industry-education partnerships can have in complementing the work of teachers and helping young people connect their in-school learning with the world outside the classroom.
CEO of Junior Achievement Ireland, Helen Raftery said “research shows us that helping young people to see the relevance of their academic studies to their everyday lives is a vital factor in persuading them to stay in school and to take maximum advantage of the opportunity that education offers. Business volunteers working on JA programmes bring the world of work to life for students. In addition, we know that many of the 3,000 volunteers we work with annually truly value the opportunity to give back to their local community, which enhances employee engagement and their sense of belonging – hugely important factors in the hybrid world.”
