BELL-IRVING SAYS JABC IS WELL POSITIONED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE HEALTH OF THE ECONOMY
A good leader knows the right moment to pass the torch. The organization will have had consecutive years of growth, strong relationships with all interest groups and a competent team supporting them. Not only does their retirement make sense for them personally, it makes sense for the future success of the organization they manage.
Jan Bell-Irving has been the President and CEO of JA British Columbia (JABC) since November 2004. As Bell-Irving nears the end of her term, we sat down with her to reflect on the organization and why she believes it is well positioned to meet the needs of students and the economy for years to come.
For the last 13 years you have witnessed the direct impact JABC makes. Can you describe its importance?
The greatest impact that JABC makes is its contribution to the health of the economy. JABC educates students about career options at an early stage. We teach skills that are essential to their future success and empowers them to become productive, contributing members to the growth of the economy. We have to invest in today’s students in order to have strong communities moving forward, and that is what JABC does.
What are the three main areas JABC makes a difference in?
There are many areas where JABC makes a difference, but the three main ones are financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness.
Over the years JABC has been gaining recognition as being a leader in financial literacy. Just recently a JA representative was appointed to the National Steering Committee on Financial Literacy. The reason we are viewed as players in this area is because JA programs produce more financially literate graduates who save more and borrow less than the average Canadian. The better our youth are at budgeting, long term planning and investing, the less strain they will place on the economy. Financial literacy is a critical factor to the overall economic success of our province and country. Along with the financial institutions we partner with, we are making a difference in this space.
Small business and entrepreneurship are integral to economic growth, particularly in British Columbia. JABC supports this by offering a portfolio of entrepreneurship programs to students from grades 5-12. These programs give them the chance to learn about the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship, and inspire them to consider careers as business owners.
By preparing youth to get a job and perform at work, JABC creates students that employers want to hire. A great example of this is our TechWorks program. Technology has transformed the business landscape, and will continue to do so at an accelerating pace. TechWorks educates students on the dynamic nature of careers in technology and of the knowledge and skills required to be ready for jobs in this field.
JABC has been in operation since 1955, how does it remain relevant?
The motivation for growth and relevancy comes from the youth JA serves. It is our mission to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. In order to do this the organization has to be flexible and deliver programs that match the learning style of students today. We are extremely fortunate to work alongside a network of forward thinking educators and business partners who help us achieve this goal. Our educators and volunteer business advisors bring our programs to life and allow us to meet the ever changing demands in the market place.
If you could highlight one milestone that you are most proud of during your term as President and CEO of JABC what would that be?
I am most proud that JABC’s outreach to students in British Columbia has expanded from 26,000 to over 38,000 students annually. When I started at JABC 30 School Districts participated in our programs, today that number is 56 (of 60). It is an absolute honour and a privilege to bring our programs to such a diverse student audience province wide.
Why is JABC so well positioned to meet the future?
JABC is very well positioned for strong growth moving forward. Our success comes from the diverse team of stakeholders that all share JABC’s vision to create a strong future for our communities and province. We don’t know what the jobs of the future will be, but we do know youth have boundless potential and if prepared properly they will succeed. That is what JABC is so good at, and will continue to be good at for years to come.