Welsh pupils beat EU rivals to win prize for business innovation
PUPILS from Wales have won the “Audience’s Favourite Business” prize in an international schools competition.
Five students from Ysgol Bryn Elian represented Wales among 50 schools from 11 European countries taking part in the International Student Company Business Fair in Lithuania.
They travelled to the Baltic state to attend the fair and compete for Innovation and Enterprise Awards.
Naming themselves Team Tech-Ex they went with a business plan selling technological accessories they created with a 3D printer to provide “technical extras for everyday needs”.
The competition was hosted by JA Lithuania, a European branch of Young Enterprise and businessmen and women from Lithuania attended the event to run seminars and workshops.
The five students from Wales worked with pupils from Lithuania, Denmark and Latvia and were given just 20 minutes to create a new concept and pitch their idea in an auditorium full of more than 250 students and teachers.
Delivering a presentation on their concept to a panel of four judges, they scored 45 points out of a maximum of 50 – and in a live poll for members of the public to vote for their favourite brand or stall, Tech-Ex got 31% of the votes for the majority of the day, massively ahead of second place with 18% of the votes.
At the end of the day the team was awarded the “Audience’s Favourite Business” prize of €100.
Business studies teacher Paul Woodhouse said he was proud of his students’ success and expects them to go far in future.
“The students have been a credit to themselves throughout the whole process and I have been extremely proud of their achievements. I do not expect them to stop here!”
Ysgol Elian pupil Dorothy Gough said: “The whole experience was a highlight. It developed my selling skills and the ability to talk in confidence about something I am passionate about – Tech-Ex.
“In future, I hope that Tech-Ex will develop as a brand and all of its products will be made on the 3D printer or handcrafted, definitely making us unique.
Fellow pupil Scott Lawley said: “I enjoyed competing against the other companies in an environment.
“I have gained so much confidence in communicating with customers. I would recommend attempting to start your own enterprise to anyone that gets the opportunity.”