Zurich Entrepreneurship Program Continues to Empower the Young Generation to Create New Business

Jakarta, August 14, 2023 – Aligned with the spirit of Indonesia's 78th Independence Day, Zurich Indonesia (Zurich), Z Zurich Foundation, and Prestasi Junior Indonesia (PJI) have commenced the second year implementation of the Zurich Entrepreneurship Program. Running until July 2024, this program aims to drive entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy education to more than 3,300 students from 40 high schools and vocational schools in Jakarta, Bogor, South Tangerang, Bekasi, Bandung, Cimahi, Medan, Semarang, Surabaya, Denpasar, and Makassar.

Chris Bendl, Country Manager of Zurich Indonesia, expressed, “ Following the great success working with 30 schools in our first year of collaboration, we are delighted to expand the impact of the Zurich Entrepreneurship Program by reaching more students, teachers, and schools in its second year of implementation. We expect that the skills acquired through this program will become valuable assets for student to grow and success in the future – aligned with Zurich's purpose which is to create a brighter future .”

Throughout the program's period, students will also have the opportunity to engage directly with Zurich employees who will serve as mentors. Practical knowledge and real-world work experiences shared by these mentors are expected to enhance the impact of the Zurich Entrepreneurship Program.

In line with Chris, Gregory Renand, Head of the Z Zurich Foundation, said, “We believe that well educated young generations in shaping their own future and contributing to building a more inclusive society. We are proud to support the Zurich Entrepreneurship Program, which empowers young people to reach their full potential.”

The Zurich Entrepreneurship Program was launched in mid-2022 to encourage the young generation to create economic opportunities through micro enterprises and essential future skills. In its first year, more than 1,900 high school students achieved a better understanding of transforming business ideas to reality, making well-informed financial decisions and mitigating risks, and designing career development strategies. The result, 30 new businesses successfully launched, contributing a total business revenue of up to Rp 200 million to the community's economic growth.

Robert Gardiner (Robert), the Academic Advisor, and Operations Counsel of Prestasi Junior Indonesia, added, “The initiation of this program is expected to support the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum and the Project to Strengthen Pancasila Student Profiles in schools, particularly in facilitating students and teachers to explore insights and skills related to entrepreneurship and sustainable lifestyles. We thank Zurich, and the Z Zurich Foundation for entrusting us to implement this highly impactful initiative.”