Last night (Tuesday, 5 May), Worcestershire County Council played host to the final round of the ‘The Young Enterprise Company of the Year’ award for Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
Nine teams of hopeful young entrepreneurs drawn from schools across the two counties had made the final round. Each of the companies produced products ranging from Scented Candles and Medical Equipment to Hand Made Gifts
The companies were required to give a final presentation or pitch to the judges. On the night competition was extremely tough, and the standard very high. Participants were judged on their presentations, interview skills, product, company report and sustainability.
Venture Leisure from The Chase, Malvern were announced as winners of the Best Company prize by Worcestershire County Council’s Rachel Hill who presented them with their award. All finalists including Fired Up from North Bromsgrove High School who were given second place, received recognition from Mark Stansfeld, Chairman of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership for getting to this final stage.
Joe Mead, Managing Director of Venture Leisure said: “This has been an amazing experience and we are so proud and pleased to have been picked as winners from such tough competition.”
A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council added, ‘Inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs is vital for the future of business in the Worcestershire. These young people truly are an inspiration to have the drive and confidence to develop their ideas and take it forward to start up new businesses. “Young Enterprise Company of the Year is sponsored by the Connecting Schools and Business programme to support the development of Worcestershire’s future workforce The key to future economic success not only rests with innovative new products but with the people who work to bring them to market. We want a Worcestershire that has a world class workforce by inspiring young people as early as possible. We are delighted to be showcasing innovation and enterprise by hosting this prestigious awards ceremony at County Hall”
Mark Stansfeld, Chair of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership is pleased to support Young Enterprise as it increases the entrepreneurial culture of the young people in our County.
“It was an inspiring evening and an absolute pleasure to be able to present these awards. The skills that have been learned through this scheme will stand these young people in a great position for entering the world of work. We would encourage more schools to get involved, as well as sponsorship by local businesses, to help develop Worcestershire’s future workforce by ensuring the young enterprise initiative is available through all our education establishments.”
For more information about Young Enterprise visit www.young-enterprise.org.uk and for anyone interested in starting their own business visit www.business-central.co.uk
Business can get further involved:
The Connecting Schools and Business programme (CSAB) is being run by Worcestershire County Council to promote and support Worcestershire’s future workforce. They provide a business and work placement matching service for businesses to find the right young people to inspire in the area of work and for young people to get quality work experience. Businesses looking for more information or to support this initiative can register at www.worcestershireskillscentral.co.uk