HONG KONG, February 9, 2012 –The second annual Asia Pacific Junior Achievement Company of the Year competition will take place in Jakarta, Indonesia, from Feb.15-17. Sixteen teams representing 11 countries are expected to compete in this business competition and learning experience. The competition is jointly organized by FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company, and U.S.-based JA Worldwide, the world’s largest organization dedicated to empowering young people to own their economic success through entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work-readiness education.
Teams will be participating from the following countries: China, Guam (a U.S. territory), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkmenistan.
The Competition helps young people understand the role of business in the global economy by allowing students to organize and operate an actual business enterprise, and market and sell a product in the real world.
During the three-day program in Jakarta, student companies will be evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of entrepreneurs, academics, and representatives from the local business community. The participating student companies will be on display at a trade fair exhibition at the City Walk Mall, which will be open to the public.
In addition to the JA Company of the Year Award, student companies will also be competing for the FedEx Access Award. This award rewards student companies who demonstrate the most potential to create jobs, grow small business, expand global development and improve the environment.
Winners of the JA Company of the Year Competition and the FedEx Access Award will be announced on Feb. 17.
“The concept of access, put simply, is the ability to connect. At FedEx, our research has shown that Access sets innovation in motion, fuels prosperity and changes lives. As an advocate for Access, FedEx wants to empower the young people in Asia Pacific with the ability and confidence to succeed in the global markets by giving them access to international markets, ideas, opportunities and people. The JA Company of the Year competition and the FedEx Access Award is a great platform to inspire and nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs to harness the power of Access,” said David L Cunningham Jr., president, FedEx Express Asia-Pacific.
Sean C. Rush, president and chief executive officer of JA Worldwide, added, “We’re proud to work with FedEx to empower the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs through the JA Company of the Year event. These students are learning 21st-century skills that will help them drive success in the business world, such as leadership, teamwork and problem-solving. This event gives them an opportunity to apply these concepts in a real-world environment.”
The competition celebrates the accomplishments of JA Company Program® students in the Asia Pacific region. During participation in the JA Company Program, students start and run their own businesses with support from volunteers from their local business community. They develop and market a product or service with the goal of realizing a profit for their shareholders. During the 2010-2011 school year, more than 380,000 students a year participated in this program globally.
About JA Worldwide (Junior Achievement)
JA Worldwide is the world’s largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 10.6 million students are served by JA Worldwide operations in 118 countries. For more information, visit www.jaworldwide.org.
About FedEx
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $41 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 290,000 team members to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.
About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is the world’s largest express transportation company, providing fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global air-and-ground network to speed delivery of time-sensitive shipments, by a definite time and date with a money-back guarantee.