FIFTY pupils from across Cardiff stepped into a Welsh dragon's den this week as they faced up to our own set of judges to prove that they are the entrepreneurs of the future.

Four local schools, Llanedeyrn High, Llanrumney High, Michaelston Community College and St Illtyds RC High School took part in the six week, extra curricular business after-school club known as 'Junior Bee'.    During the first four weeks, pupils learned how to incorporate ideas such as communication skills, team building, strategy, planning and creativity into real-life situations, whilst other topics included marketing and social enterprise & entrepreneurship.   Throughout the fifth week, the pupils got a chance to put theory into practice and were asked to develop their own business ideas to be presented inside their very own ‘dragon’s den’.

Pupils were divided into groups and were given just two guidelines to follow, firstly, to develop a business which could be set up in Cardiff and secondly, that it had to be a realistic and bonafide idea that could actually go ahead.   The pupils had three minutes to present their ideas, covering what their business entailed, who their customers would be, their proposed marketing campaign and the resources they have and would require.  In addition to this, the teams also had to design a name, logo and slogan for their business.

The project was a collaboration between First Campus and UWIC’s Entrepenuership Co-ordinator Natasha Kemp, who joined forces to give high school pupils aged between 12 to 14 a taster in business and university life.  Presentations ran across a total of three nights, where winners were selected for the best team performance on each night and an overall prize of £200 to be awarded to the best team overall to spend on resources for their school, sponsored by UWIC’s Cardiff School of Management.  

To celebrate the pupil’s achievements an awards ceremony is due to take place on 23 April 2009, where all the groups will be invited to come together, receive certificates and hear a talk from Naeem Amir of Accountancy 4U, and Luke Jones, Director of Warwick Hall Recording Studio, before the winners of each prize are announced.

The picture shows the team of judges, left to right, Luke Jones, Naeem Amir, Kay Howells and Tim Savage.