Gold award for young entrepreneurs

A group of college students have shown their entrepreneurial skills and become the gold winners of the Welsh Skills Enterprise Competition.

The group, who study at Coleg Cambria’s Yale campus, beat over 60 entries throughout the college to be chosen to represent the institution in the Welsh Skills Enterprise Competition in Coleg Ceredigion, Aberystwyth recently.

Whilst there, they competed against other colleges across Wales to meet and solve the given challenge, which was to: “Develop an idea for a new product or service to assist the aging population to make the most of products and services already available to them in their own homes but in a different, more accessible, cheaper or faster way.’

The teams were given four hours to produce a business plan, marketing strategy and presentation to solve this challenge using the ‘Simply Do’ concept canvas and software. The teams then had to present their ideas to a panel of judges from industry and academia and answer questions about their business plan and presentation.

Enterprise Champion, Lynn Williams said: “This is a great achievement; these students have proven their ability to solve problems in an innovative way, to a tight schedule and were exceptionally professional in their delivery.

“We are extremely proud of them and their success.

“This enterprise competition provided a platform for this dynamic team to put their flare and passion for business into reality, whilst working under strict timescales, added Tutor Mel Henry

“Their concept – Silver Server, looked to tackle loneliness amongst the aged population in the Wrexham area.

Feedback from judges included ‘they were head and shoulders above the rest’ and that “this mature and committed group of young people were a credit to themselves and our college and it has been a pleasure to witness their journey.”