Help from UBS staff for students tackling business concepts
Volunteers from bank develop Web app for youth in entrepreneurship programme
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A Secondary 3 student using a Web app focusing on business concepts such as expenditure and revenue. The app, which was developed by volunteers from investment bank UBS Singapore, is used by students in a Halogen Foundation programme that helps participants build business fundamentals.
PHOTO: HALOGEN FOUNDATION SINGAPORE
Jolene Ang
Secondary school students in an entrepreneurship programme are getting a fillip from a Web app developed by volunteers from Swiss investment bank UBS that helps them tackle business concepts such as expenditure and revenue.
The Secondary 3 Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) students are from local youth development charity Halogen Foundation's Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship programme, which is designed to help them build business fundamentals.
The programme's hands-on curriculum runs over the course of a year in local schools.
The break-even analysis Web app developed by UBS Singapore staff is meant to help young people undergoing the entrepreneurship training better understand how their expenditure and revenue play a part in the financial performance of their business concepts.
UBS Singapore and Halogen Foundation, a charity that focuses on building young leaders and entrepreneurs, are into their fourth year of collaboration.
UBS volunteers also support Halogen Foundation's Graduates Mentorship Programme, which is for young people who have successfully completed the entrepreneurship training. Participants receive one-to-one coaching that helps them set goals and map out their future educational and career options.
These students are on the Education Ministry's financial assistance scheme and have just completed their N-level examinations.
UBS Optimus Foundation Singapore, a grant-making foundation that offers UBS clients a platform to use their wealth to drive positive social and environmental change, has set aside additional funding support for Halogen to focus on developing a framework to track, evaluate and report on its programmes.
It is also funding Halogen's mentorship programmes for tertiary students.
Halogen Foundation chief executive Ivy Tse said UBS' focus on youth aligns with her organisation's vision of "transforming the lives of young people through character, mindset and skill set development".
UBS Singapore community affairs lead Julie Yeo said: "Our colleagues have repeatedly volunteered over the past years to mentor students on the topic of business fundamentals, developing an entrepreneurial mindset and how to build confidence.
"The interaction goes two ways - from our interactions, UBS volunteers were also able to learn about the current struggles that students are facing and were able to contribute meaningfully in between work."