Students from six schools in Worcester, Malvern and Wychavon battled it out last Saturday (9 March 2019) in a competition designed to test their entrepreneurial skills.
The Young Enterprise Spring Trade Fair saw twelve teams of sixth form students selling products which they had created to passers-by on Worcester's High Street.
In advance participating teams set up a limited company, allocated roles and responsibilities within their business and sold shares to friends and family. Teams then developed a prototype product which they market- tested before selling the final creation at Saturday's Fair.
The panel of judges comprised Ian Smith, Portfolio Risk Officer at HSBC; Dionne Oliver, Innovation Senior Consultant at QinetiQ and Ray Gillespie from Worcester Web Studios, who assessed the team's use of digital technology.
"I've attended the Spring Fair for 20 successive years and the ingenuity, creativity and hard work of the students never fails to disappoint," says Paul Moult, Chair of Youth Enterprise South Worcestershire.
"Considering six months ago they had minimal business knowledge, now they have formed a company, sold shares, designed and made a product, and here they are selling to the public in the middle of Worcester. This year I was particularly impressed with how students utilised digital platforms to promote and sell their products."
The winners were:
Best Product – Team Athena from Worcester Sixth Form College, for their soft toy which helps children to express their feelings and reduces stress/can boost mental health.
Best Display – Team Puzzle from Malvern St. James Girls School – for the use of hand-written signs to create a really strong display which the judges thought looked professional.
Best Brand Image – Team Logic MigTea from Kings School Worcester developed a very strong brand reflected across their stand, website, business cards and packaging.
Overall Winners – Team Athena from Worcester Sixth Form College. Judges unanimously agreed that the students had developed a great product, brand image and display - and had used digital technology well to research and promote their business.
The Mayor of Worcester, Cllr Jabba Riaz, presented awards to the winners. He said: "As a previous Young Enterprise participant myself, I can vouch for the important role this programme plays in developing young people's self-confidence. They start to believe that they have the skills to run a business – and that it isn't just something which other people do.
"The quality of this year's entries was extremely good, but the winners clearly stood out because the thought, effort and knowledge behind their product was exceptional."
Sign your school up for Young Enterprise in 2020
Would your students or child like to develop their business skills? Worcester City Council is investing £1,800 to help Young Enterprise reach more young people in the city.
To find out more contact Julia Neale –
