The Junior Achievement initiative works to help young people in the Gothenburg region to recognise and develop their own entrepreneurial skills through education. Junior Achievement is a politically independent, non-profit educational organisation that has trained upper secondary school students since 1980 via the process education of JA Entrepreneurship.

Friday Flower UF, winners of JA Company of the Year in Gothenburg 2026. Photo: Elina Maaranen/Göteborg & Co

Enablers

Within the Junior Achievement programme, it has become clear that socio-economic background plays a part in the success of students in their JA year. To succeed, students need to find an adviser and start-up capital, among other things. This can be particularly challenging for students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds . That is why Junior Achievement Gothenburg, together with the Trade and Industry Group, started “Enablers” in the autumn of 2025. This is a threeyear project working with four selected schools in need of support. The aim is to create better conditions for a more successful JA year for students who are in vulnerable situations.

The project gives representatives from business and the world of work an opportunity to act as enablers by accompanying school visits, coaching students or opening up their workplaces for study visits. For many students, this is the first time they will get a glimpse of a real working environment. Study visits can provide students with inspiration, an understanding of industry needs and a clear understanding of how entrepreneurship works in practice. The aim is not for everyone to become an entrepreneur, but for everyone to have the same opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial skills and to build a “can-do” attitude that helps to build self-confidence and courage.

During the JA-year 2025/2026, 200 students and 10 teachers participated in the Enablers initiative, which resulterd in 21 exhibitors at the JA-Fair and 8 companies to the finals.