Young entrepreneurs from Halifax shine at business fair

Halifax Academy entertained the crowds with their take on ‘stress balls’ complete with smiley faces, and a bit of juggling to boot. North Halifax Grammar students decided on gifts for Mother’s Day, selling bags of goodies to a busy shopping centre crowd.

The Trade Fairs are part of the West Yorkshire Young Enterprise programme, giving students the skills they will need in a career in business. It’s taken months of preparation, studying and creative ideas to get to the point where the youngsters were ready to present their business proposition alongside other teams, with the chance to go through to National Finals to be held in May.

Amir Hafidh, Area Manager for Young Enterprise West Yorkshire, said: “It’s a lot of work for everyone involved and we’re grateful to the volunteers, business advisers, teachers and staff who go the extra mile to give their time and energy to help these youngsters to achieve their business dreams and aspirations. It’s always worth it to see the enthusiasm and determination to succeed shown by our young people”.

The Young Enterprise Company Programme supports teams of students in participating schools, helping them develop their commercial skills into viable businesses that are judged against national criteria. As well as producing business plans and providing financial information, each team attends a Dragon’s Den type interview and presentations, competing for local and national awards.

The students draw up business plans, create products and services, raise share capital, sell to the public at trade fairs and face fierce scrutiny from judges in several gruelling rounds of the Company Programme competition.

Young Enterprise was set up to give students the opportunity to learn essential business skills and to encourage entrepreneurship. According to the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) eight out of ten British school-leavers “lack essential business skills” such as numeracy and more than 80% of young people require “significant training” before being put to work. The Young Enterprise programme tackles these issues, giving youngsters a head start on their road to a business career.