Budding young entrepreneurs from the Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Newport and Monmouthshire areas recently went head-to-head in the first stage of a national Young Enterprise competition.
After 26 teams started their Young Enterprise Journey in September 2012, six teams from six different schools in Gwent competed to take home the top prize of ‘Best Company 2013 and Best Team 2013’.
The teams taking part had all set up and run their own businesses for a year with the help of business mentors.
Students from Blackwood Comprehensive School, Lewis Girls School, Trinity Fields School and Resource Centre, Crownbridge Special School, Haberdashers Girls’ School and Rougemont school took part in the competition at Caerphilly Council’s headquarters.
Spectrum from Blackwood Comprehensive and Ark from Haberdashers Girls’ School won ‘Best Company 2013’ and Goffi Goron from Crownbridge Special School taking the ‘Best Team 2013’ title.
All three companies will go through to the next stage of the competition, the Wales Innovation Awards, being held at The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport on June 19.
Moe Farouzan, Enterprise Facilitator at the BGeffect in Blaenau Gwent and judge at the Gwent final, said: “The Gwent area finals mark the first stage in a national competition to find this year’s Best Young Enterprise Company and Team. The students have showcased the products and services they’ve developed in the past year and were grilled by our expert panel of judges who scrutinised their business reports and profit margins.
“Young Enterprise believes that young people ‘learn by doing’ and over the years countless young people have been inspired to start up their own businesses after taking part in our company programme.”
More than 1,600 14 to 18-year-olds in schools across Wales have taken part in the Young Enterprise Company Programme this year and set up a total of 146 businesses with help from local business volunteers. Products created and sold by Gwent Young Enterprise companies this year include care boxes for soldiers, the elderly and children, a musical learning CD, a t shirt brand and handmade wedding favours.
Lyn Maloney, chair of the Caerphilly Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen Young Enterprise Board, said: “Young Enterprise couldn’t exist without the vital support from our local business volunteers and I’d like to thank them all for their hard work this year as well as all of the award supporters for their sponsorship of the area final.”