Junior Achievement Portugal (JAP) invited the Vasco Vieira de Almeida Foundation to select Vieira de Almeida (VdA) employees to be part of the jury that will evaluate the projects hoping to advance to the final ‘Feiras Ilimitadas’ phase of the “A Empresa” programme.

 “A Empresa” is JAP’s flagship programme. This programme, which has brought global visibility to the organisation, challenges secondary school students to create a mini-company during the school year, with the help of a volunteer and a teacher. After creating a product or service, the participants develop a business plan, enter the market and, finally, settle the transaction. At each stage of the business cycle, they develop a key entrepreneurial skill for their future.

The duo of judges who represented VdA in the analysis and selection of applications, from 26 March to 5 April, was constituted by Muriel Faden da Silva, Quality & Innovation Coordinator, and Marta Amaral, Billing & Collections Coordinator.

JAP – a partner of Vieira de Almeida / Vasco Vieira de Almeida Foundation since 2008 – has the mission to inspire and prepare children and young people to succeed in a global economy through transformative experiences based on three fundamental pillars: Citizenship and Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship Education and Employability Skills.

“To be able to contribute to a project like JAP, with such an important mission and significant impact on Portuguese youth, is very rewarding. “A Empresa” programme challenges young entrepreneurs to get out of their comfort zone and give their very best in creating and managing a mini-company. Being jurors in the process of selection of the projects that move forward to the final stage offered us a more holistic view of all the innovative participating projects and a better understanding of the priorities of high school students.”

Muriel Faden da Silva, Quality & Innovation Coordinator, and Marta Amaral, Billing & Collections Coordinator.