Junior Achievement Ireland were delighted to recognise the support of the Port of Waterford recently at their first ever volunteer recognition event. We presented their ‘End of Year Report’ along with the volunteer certificates to the staff who kindly gave up their time, knowledge and skills to primary and secondary school students and helped them learn more about jobs in their community.
Brian Moore, Administration Manager, Port of Waterford said that “the Port of Waterford exists as a driver of the regional economy and part of the local community. The Junior Achievement programme allows us the opportunity to engage directly with our community, and our small investment in the project is repaid many times over such a positive experience.“
The partnership commenced in Faithlegg N.S. with Pilot, Victor Whitty, presenting the junior achievement, our community programme to 2nd class students and continued to Mount Sion secondary school where Arthur Kearney (also a past pupil) helped the students understand what success means to them through the Junior Achievement Economics of staying in school programme! It was great to see a past pupil given the opportunity to share his life experiences with students.
Anne Berry, Principal and class teacher said “The programme allowed the students to see how education extends out into the world of business and they also learned important team working skills and how companies have standards that must be reached. The impact of having a business volunteer like Victor deliver the programme is really important and it really engages the students.”
Denise Power, Area Manager, commented, “With the support of partners like Port of Waterford we are able to connect students with the world outside their classrooms in a way which is both meaningful and educational. Helping students to connect what they do in school with the world around them to ensure they see the relevance of their studies in their everyday lives is a very important aspect of their development and one in which we are delighted that Port of Waterford has invested its resources and expertise.”