YESL hosts Junior Achievers Worldwide

Young Entrepreneurs Sri Lanka (YESL) hosted the first Asia Pacific Regional Conference of Junior Achievers Worldwide (JAW) from February 20-22 at the Galle Face Hotel. YESL was selected to host the event in recognition of its achievements at the Atlanta International Awards in 2003. YESL won the highest growth, sustained growth and most outstanding chief executive awards at the event.

A member nation of JAW, YESL is a non profit organisation committed to educate and inspire youth from primary school level to value free enterprise, understand business and economics, be self-dependent and job creators.

The organisation was set up in 1998 approved by the Ministry of Education and today it has reached over 400 schools with around 1,600 students.

President, YESL, Patrick Amarasinghe said the target is to reach at least 10 percent of school students by 2013.

The institute plans to upgrade the standard of the activities, increase the number of volunteers and teachers and reach schools of the North East Provinces this year, he said. YESL has trained over 1,600 teachers and enrolled 150,000 since commencing activities.

He said the objective of the conference is to build strong regional cooperation and share good practices among members.