For you as a parent
Is your child starting a UF-företag? Congratulations! You have a year filled with learning and development ahead of you. UF stands for Ung Företagsamhet (Junior Achievement), an organisation that in Sweden has taught entrepreneurship and business management for 40 years. UF-företag can be translated as a Junior Achievement corporation, a special type of corporation only found in our program.
UF-företagande (UF-corporation) is an education where high school students for the duration of a year have the opportunity to run their own company, with real goods and services and with real money. All UF-företag has a UF-lärare (UF-teacher) who is responsible and has been educated by Ung Företagsamhet.
Five mandatory stages
Everyone who runs a UF-company need to complete five mandatory stages during the academic year. If these are completed with an approved result the student will recieve a certificate by the end of the year.
The five mandatory stages are:
1. Company registration
2. Establish a business plan
3. Sell their goods or service
4. Contact with their advisor
5. Establish an annual report
New skills
During the UF-year the students develop in a number of areas:
Cooperation
An UF-företag (UF-corporation) is run in groups and favourably with previously unknown people. Different wills and opinions will together reach a shared result.
Responsiblity
Each corporation member has their special skills - someone will be CEO, somebody else economic manager while a third is responsible for production. Everyone has to do their part, or the chain falls apart.
Creativity
It's not that easy to run a UF-företag but it's guaranteed to be educational. The students have to constantly think creatively, from idea to sales.
Business management
The students will develop an understanding for the inner workings of a business after the UF-år. Studies show that many former UF-företagare often start their own companies later in life as well as having a higher salary, less unemployement and a higher probability of reaching a leadership position.
Ung Företagsamhet is a politically independent, nonprofit education organisation and is a part of the global organisation Junior Achievement that was founded in 1919. We have since 1980 educated high school students in entrepreneurship through our UF-företagande program. Since 2010 we also work with primary schools. Ung Företagsamhet gives children and youths the opportunity to train and develop their creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Ung Företagsamhet has three education materials for primary school: Vårt samhälle (Our society), Se möjligheterna (See the opportunities) and Min framtid och ekonomi (My future and finances). For high school we have the program UF-företagande, as well as an alumni network of former UF-företagare.
We offer education materials, teacher's tutorials, training, assessment support, scholarship opporunities, exchange with other countries and inspiration for teachers and students.
We can be found throughout Sweden, from north to south, in the form of a Joint Office and 24 regional offices. We have over a 100 engaged co-workers to aid student and teachers and the organisation has a deep knowledge of entrepreneurship. The organisation is supported by public and private funds.