School entrepreneurs run market stalls to hone their business skills
Students from New City Tower Hamlets college selling their 'Wonky Wallets' brand. Picture: Young Enterprise - Credit: Young Enterprise
Youngsters from all over east London have been out selling goods on market stools in a Young Enterprise programme where they set up their own companies to learn how to be business leaders.
They included students from the Poplar campus of New City College who produced hand-made wallets with blocking lining to avoid clashing cards when using oyster, which they sold at a Greenwich Market event.
Pupils from City of London School for Girls were also selling beeswax wraps made from offcuts from the East End’s fashion trade and photo frames from recycling materials, while youngsters from Clapton Girls’ Academy sold personalised revision books and soaps packaged in recyclable materials.
“This programme helps them discover skills they never knew they had,” Young Enterprise London regional manager Michael Anderson explained.
“It creates a practical experience of running a business, transforming shy students into sales people who never considered themselves as business leaders.
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“The student companies were trading alongside professional traders, honing their techniques along the way and turning a profit by the end of the day.”
The Young Enterprise charity motivates youngsters from 14 to 19 with confidence for the world of work.
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The youngsters set up and run a profit-making business or social enterprise over an academic year, to develop ‘employability’ skills. They make the decisions about their business, from the product to their business plan and working on marketing and sales strategies.