The Irish News Op-Ed

Advisory Council member Jago Pearson wrote an op-ed in the Irish News last month discussing opportunities for young people in the business sector. He talked about the daunting prospect many face of choosing between universities and degree courses, but called on those who had chosen against this route to consider an alternative. He said “don’t be disheartened if you did not get the grades you wanted or were not accepted onto the degree course you desired this summer. University isn’t for everyone – nor does it automatically set you up for success.”

Jago outlined the multitude of reasons to be positive about a career in the business sector, from the focus on team work, leadership, skill development, and life satisfaction. He gave the example of Joe, a general manager at the Finnebrogue sausage factory: “He started life as a bricklayer, having left school at 16 with no qualifications. He joined us as a sausage packer in 2011, then earning minimum wage. He now leads a team of 600 people and runs the UK’s most advanced sausage production facility“.

Citing Jobs Foundation polling Jago criticised the negative perception of business as ‘greedy’ and ‘uncaring’. He pointed out that for every horror story there are hundreds more examples of incredible businesses doing amazing work in their community, like his own, Finnebrogue based in County Down, Northern Ireland.

Read the whole article here.