Junior enterprise

A Junior Enterprise is a local not-for-profit association entirely managed by students. Related to their field of studies the students offer consulting services to the market; experiencing unique learning opportunities by doing professional project work on the one side and managing small- to medium sized enterprises on the other, by doing this the students add practical experience to their theoretical skills. Most Junior Enterprises are linked to universities or schools. There is an article about one at Folio (company).

This is an opportunity for students to develop self confidence and experience entrepreneurship at an early stage, to add practical experience to the theoretical skills and to provide private business with state-of-the-art knowledge from universities.

Due to the particularity of the Junior Enterprise work, the students distinguish themselves for example by their soft skills such as entrepreneurial spirit, team-working, creativity, presentation skills, public speaking, networking and intercultural understanding, work experience, project management….

Twenty-five years after the establishment of the first Junior Enterprise in 1967, JADE – the European Confederation of Junior Enterprises – was founded in 1992 and is based in Brussels. In the meantime this network counts 20.000 student members in eleven countries, organised in around 150 Junior Enterprises. JADE coordinates Junior Initiatives all over Europe and fosters their development. Together with the affiliated Junior Enterprise Network in Brazil JADE is one of the largest student networks in the world.