First Citizens backs school entrepreneurship contest again

FIRST Citizens Bank has announced its continued sponsorship of the National Secondary Schools Entrepreneurship Competition (NSSEC), an initiative aimed at innovation, leadership and business acumen among young students outside the traditional school system.

In a media release, it said the competition exposed secondary-school students to entrepreneurship training via simulation software.

Through gamification, the students experienced the ever-changing culture of running a business enterprise.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, gamification is the process of using game-like elements of a task to encourage greater participation.

Addressing the participants, Jason Julien, group deputy CEO of business generation, said, "At NSSEC, our objectives include developing your competencies and intelligence…your ability to think and more importantly to think creatively, strategically and critically in real-world scenarios and simulations and having to do so as a team.

"We at First Citizens, are proud to continue to be a partner with the National Secondary Schools Entrepreneurship Competition and have seen our investment over the last seven years impact the lives of over 4,000 students."

The initiative emphasised the importance of entrepreneurial thinking by empowering young people to dream big and to develop the practical skills necessary to turn their ideas into reality, the release said.

"In keeping with its continued commitment to youth development and education, First Citizens reaffirms its commitment to projects such as NSSEC and believes in the overall development of young people, equipping them with valuable skills and fostering networking and camaraderie."