£10 Business Challenge Tests Pupils’ Enterprise Skills

Pupils from four North Wales high schools were tasked with creating a business on a £10 budget for an enterprise challenge. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The group visited Wrexham Glyndwr University to participate in a day of workshops organised as part of a range of activities in conjunction with the North and Mid Wales Reaching Wider Partnership. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

One saw the pupils work in groups to discuss the marketing and branding of popular chocolate brands, helping to design and create their own chocolate product to fill market gaps. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

And in the £10 business challenge, they devised ideas for a new business, taking into account the cost of factors such as materials and marketing. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The pupils were from Year Seven at the Maelor School, Penley; St David’s High School, Saltney; Rhyl High School and Ysgol Bryn Alyn, Gwersyllt. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Stephanie Wynne, coordinator at North Wales Business School, Wrexham Glyndwr University, led the £10 business challenge. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

She said: “We had an excellent response from everyone who took part. The idea of the challenge was to show the pupils how creative you can be with very little money. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It encouraged them to think about what they could buy and sell for £10, developing their enterprise skills, as well as softer skills such as teamwork.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Reaching Wider aims to increase Higher Education participation from previously under-represented groups and communities in Wales, in particular Communities First areas. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Widening Access coordinator, Sarah Gaffney, kick-started the day with a motivational talk on what Higher Education can offer at an institution such as Wrexham Glyndwr University. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Many of the students here will not be aware of what University is, or can offer them. This day is designed to engage and inform local students as to what’s on their doorstep,” she said. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“All of the students expressed an interest in the activities throughout the day, Year Seven is a great time to introduce the students to some of the course options available and it was a pleasure to have them onsite.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Wrexham Glyndwr University is an active partner in the North and Mid Wales Reaching Wider Partnership, bringing hundreds of students on to campus each year to inspire them to think about pathways into higher education. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​