The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and Junior Achievement Young Enterprise signed an agreement, with the aim to further formalise an existing excellent relationship, and enhance collaboration between the two organisations.

By virtue of this agreement, the Malta Chamber shall support Young Enterprise in its efforts to promote an entrepreneurial culture among the young, by means of resources and expert support.

President Anton Borg said that the Malta Chamber has always strived in favour of inculcating an entrepreneurial culture among youths. The Malta Chamber has promoted this philosophy to the extent that recommendation 39 of the Economic Vision for Malta 2014-2020 claims "Boosting economic growth requires the presence of a large group of individuals who are actively thinking about starting a business and have attributes and skills to achieve their ambitions".

In light of this, Mr Borg reiterated the Chamber's call to government to include entrepreneurship in the national academic curriculum. The Malta Chamber believes that in order to assure strong businesses tomorrow, we must invest in our younger generation today.

"Working closely with the Malta Chamber will enable Junior Achievement Young Enterprise programme participants to gain invaluable insights and support directly from the business community," commented David Pace, chairman of JA-YE Malta.

It is envisaged that this cooperation will enable young promising entrepreneurs to interact with seasoned business professionals while sharing the business community's take on matters such as skills gaps with such individuals in their key formative years.

Junior Achievement Young Enterprise has already proven itself in this field and has a track record of thousands of young men and women who have successfully completed their activity programmes, trying their hand for the first time at entrepreneurship.

Many successful business people today will recall their Young Enterprise days with nostalgia but also with a sense of intrepid excitement that ignited their interest in business.

The Malta Chamber reiterates that our young should be shown the value of entrepreneurship today in order to assure a strong and diversified economy tomorrow.