GE FoundationOpening Doors Program Recognized
On the 10th anniversary of the GE Foundation Opening Doors Secondary School Talent Development Program, the Hungarian Houses of Parliament opened its door for a conference to recognize this unique GE program. Participants include 150 students and their teachers who have benefited from the program. A following roundtable discussion was joined by representatives of the Hungarian governmental, business and NGO sectors with the aim of translating the best practice to other companies and regions.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics emphasized the cooperation between the governmental and the business sectors. "Only this kind of cooperation will allow young people to connect in the global knowledge transfer, the practical world of work and a network of connections in the course of the talent development process."
The GE Foundation Opening Doors secondary school talent development program was launched in 2002 to accelerate the development of an underprivileged region in Hungary. The GE Foundation has granted a total of USD 1,087,000 (about HUF 217 million) to support the schools in Kisvarda, Hajduboszormeny, Ozd and Putnok, enabling 474 talented students and 59 teachers to join the program. In addition, leaders from GE's Hungarian operations and the GE Volunteers contribute much more than money - they provide mentorship for participating students, sharing their knowledge, outlook and expertise.
GE is also partnering with other organizations in this cause of competitive human capital development. Fast Business Communications, a leader in adult language training in Hungary (a small Hungarian enterprise and a supplier to GE) provides new language teaching competency for the entire region through the teachers, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the program's impact. Entrepreneurial and business skills are taught to students by Junior Achievement Hungary (JAM) (also a global grantee of GE Foundation), using globally-proven training materials and exercises.
As the worldwide crisis and recession is coming to an end, the need for skilled people who can adapt to changes and whom Hungary can build on is increasing. The students participating in GE Foundation Opening Doors program can gain experience in real business life, acquire business English language skills, build their capital of relationships, and even develop the skills required for managing a business.
"The GE Opening Doors program shaped my career decision. My mentor, 'Agi was very helpful and the job shadowing days in GE Healthcare was quite an eye-opener. I had opportunities to talk to native English speaking people and to take part in conference calls so that I realised that speaking English is not an advantage but a requirement in the business world," said Zs'ofi Ol'ah, a participating student.
When speaking of change and progress, Zs'ofi is in good company. Otto Tuza, Principal of Jozsef Attila Secondary School, said in the conference's opening speech, "The participating schools have also changed with the students over the years. It was very challenging to work with a global company and NGO representatives and to acquire the techniques and methods that came naturally to them in order to make the program a success. It was a successful mission, I think, and now all participating schools are part of a network of connections that embraces the regions, and they are ready to share the acquired knowledge, skills and experiences with others."