Students impress at enterprise challenge
Five students from Rutherglen and Cambuslang were put through their paces this summer as they took part in an Apprentice-style challenge designed to encourage entrepreneurship.
Trinity High School’s Angela Abraham and Anna Brown and Cathkin High’s Lewis Hart- Bain, Robert Kerr and Zoe Yeung were selected from hundreds of applicants for the Inspiring Enterprise Challenge.
Created and organised by Bright Yellow Thinking and South Lanarkshire Council’s planning and economic development services, the challenge followed the same format of the Apprentice TV show and saw participants, aged 15 to 17, take part in challenges set by local businesses.
The tasks were held over a two-week period and included designing a new product for Borders Biscuits, coming up with fundraising activities for Kilbryde Hospice as well as developing an innovative new business idea.
For each project pupils had to consider factors such as financial viability, packaging and advertising.
Working with existing organisations, the students gained knowledge of how business works, the language used and the skills required.
The candidates also learned important skills for real-world employment such as researching, teamwork and communication, taking direction, problem solving and creative thinking.
Helen Salt, director of Bright Yellow Thinking, said the initiative was possible thanks to £10,000 package from UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE), the economic generation arm of Tata Steel, in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council.
She said: “The Inspiring Enterprise Challenge is a thorough and hands-on approach which provides students with an insight into the life of a real entrepreneur.
“At the end of the two weeks, we saw candidates that had grown in confidence and developed important employability and entrepreneurial skills that may help them consider starting their own business in the future.”
Anne Clyde, regional manager at UKSE, said: “This is a fantastic project, giving young people with an interest in business the chance to gain practical experience.
“UKSE is proud to support initiatives that encourage young people to think about starting their own business and I wish all those taking part the very best of luck.”