At the beginning of the Autumn Term, Year 12 pupils from the
Girls' Division took part in a Business Enterprise & Awareness
Training day, run by Brian Muir from BEAT, as part of their
induction programme. This included various interactive sessions as
an introduction to the business world. Seminars delivered by
volunteer speakers from a range of commercial organisations ensured
that the course had up-to-date business input and expertise
covering tasks relating to human resources, management, marketing
and sales, production and problem solving.
The girls undertook all the tasks with enthusiasm, developing
and honing personal skills and qualities that will be needed in the
competitive business world of the future. Most sessions ended by
the students making short presentations to their peers, providing
good grounding for the impending business competition.
Following this day students formed teams of six to develop
prospective new businesses. After one 50 minute session, they were
ready to face the next challenge: a whole day off timetable to
enable them to develop their ideas into a 10 minute PowerPoint
presentation in which they described their new product or service,
talked through their business plans and financial forecasts, all
with a view to asking a local bank for a business loan. The panel
of judges selected just four teams with the most viable business
propositions and the most effective presentation skills to compete
in the Girls' Division final.
Eventually, "Spectrum" and "Party in a Box" went forward to the
final with the Boys' Division where they battled for the Hi-Life
Diners' Club Enterprise Trophy. We were delighted when "Spectrum",
with their idea for customising glasses with silicon sleeves, won
through.
We are very grateful to Hi-Life Diners' Club for sponsoring the
trophy and would also like to thank BEAT, Barclays Bank, BT and
Miliken Industrials.