REN joins forces with Junior Achievement Portugal to promote Sustainable Entrepeneurship Education

REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais - has got together with Junior Achievement Portugal (JAP). The company that manages the main electricity and natural gas transportation infrastructure in Portugal has joined forces with the oldest and largest non-profit organisation in the area of entrepreneurship education in its mission to inspire and prepare young people for success in the global economy.

Erica Nascimento, JAP’s CEO, emphasises that “the union of REN’s employees’ experience, the thematic contents of JAP’s courses and the support of partner teaching institutes will encourage our youngsters to face the future with more energy, with applied knowledge of the world of work and, more importantly, with more optimism.” She added, “corporate social responsibility is part of REN’s sustainability strategy and “sustainability” for us can also be defined as our capacity to interact with the world, with what we have done and how we can help others. This is what we will be promoting with this partnership: passing on experience and knowledge of the professional world to these young people. It will give them the tools they need in areas that are hardly touched upon in school, such as entrepreneurship, citizenship, business ethics, financial literacy and career development.

According to Margarida Ferreirinha, REN’s Communication and Sustainability Manager, “it is extraordinary to be able to unite in a single partnership the opportunity to contribute towards widening the horizons of children, sharing knowledge with them, and simultaneously extending the involvement of the company and its staff with the communities in which we operate.”

REN’s involvement will take place through a number of volunteering initiatives activities undertaken by members of its staff through the JAP “Family”, “Community” and “It’s my Business” programme.

About JAP’s programmes
“Community” is a programme that guides primary-school age pupils (aged 7-8) in their discovery of the community, the businesses that operate in that community, how the government works to develop services for the well-being of citizens, and how citizens have a responsibility towards the community’s economic well-being.

“Family” is a programme for primary-school pupils (aged 6-7) consisting of a series of five activities. They find out what a family is and how it works, what families need and what they want, where they go to satisfy their needs and desires, and the type of employment different family members have.
 The “It’s my Business!” programme encourages pupils (aged 13-15) to use critical thought to learn some entrepreneurial skills that support positive attitudes while they think about their career aspirations. Through six interactive sessions and the development of an “entrepreneurial” project, the pupils confirm business concepts through a series of games and activities.

About Junior Achievement Portugal
JAP is the Portuguese counterpart of Junior Achievement — the oldest and largest non-profit association promoting entrepreneurship education. It promotes the values of responsibility and initiative and encourages young Portuguese to get directly involved in the business world, preparing them for the professional world.