Students from 5th class Convent of Mercy School, Claremorris were given a real-life insight into work and business, when they were hosted by DeCare Dental Insurance at their Claremorris headquarters. The visit was part of an ongoing programme provided by Junior Achievement Ireland, which was supported by DeCare and which saw over 17 of their team provide practical workshops to local schools throughout the last 12 months. CEO Maureen Walsh welcomed the Convent of Mercy students and their teacher Ms. Maloney to DeCare Dental and spoke to the students about the importance of The 3 T’s: Teeth, Talent and Teamwork, while Communications Manager, Edel Jordan gave some insight about effective marketing and branding. Students were introduced to good dental health by Dental Health Nurse Noeleen Lowry who demonstrated how to clean their teeth effectively, explained the effect that sugar can have on their dental health and showed students how to measure how much sugar is in food and drink products.
Human Resource Manager, Mairead Nestor, introduced students to the National Framework of Qualifications and highlighted the importance of staying in education and continuous personal development. Wrapping up with a tour of the plant and an introduction to the various departments in DeCare, students were able to learn about the skills required for the employment opportunities available to them in their local area.
Speaking about DeCare’s support of the Junior Achievement Ireland programme, CEO Maureen Walsh said “We’re delighted to partner with Junior Achievement Ireland and to have the opportunity to work with local schools in the community to bring real-life experience to their students. Those that have been involved in the delivery of the programmes have gained a lot personally from the experience. It was a pleasure to host the students from the Convent of Mercy here today and to see their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. We hope we will see many of them here in the future when they embark on their working careers.”
Junior Achievement Ireland is a non-profit organisation, which works to bridge the gap between school and the working world and reinforce the importance of education for employment. Programmes are provided to both primary and secondary students, taught by business volunteers from supporting organisations, who are fully trained and given in-depth plans and training materials before they commence.
DeCare Dental is a specialist dental insurance and oral health company with over 10 years’ experience in Ireland. The company employs over 100 people in Mayo and Dublin. and is a subsidiary of DeCare Dental LLC, a global benefits management group with over 40 years of proven success and more than 9 million customers worldwide. For more, see decare.ie
Junior Achievement is a non profit organization and its aim is to create a culture of enterprise within the education system. Programmes begin at primary school level, teaching children how they can impact the world around them as individuals, workers and consumers and the programmes continue through to secondary school.
For further information please contact Niamh Grealish, Development Officer, Junior Achievement Ireland at ngrealish@jai.ie or mobile 086-0341588
