We recently held an exciting Year 8 Young Enterprise Day at St John’s Catholic School, Bishop Auckland, designed to encourage students to develop essential skills, work collaboratively, and explore future career opportunities.
The day began with team icebreakers, helping students build confidence and learn how to engage effectively with one another. Each group was then introduced to 15 different businesses. Working as a team, they pitched their ideas to secure both the business and the loan, before going ahead and ‘buying’ their chosen business.
Students also explored personality traits, discussing how to engage with different personalities within a team and how to get the best out of each individual. In the afternoon, the focus shifted to building their businesses, covering key areas such as budgeting, marketing, and costings.
We were delighted to welcome a special guest, Leo Smith from Arriva, who shared his inspiring career journey, the challenges he has faced, and how setbacks have shaped his success today.
Pitching and Awards
Later in the day, students presented their business ideas to the whole room. Their passion and confidence were outstanding, and they spoke with real conviction about the businesses they had created. The event concluded with an awards ceremony, celebrating achievements in:
- Teamwork
- Innovation
- Marketing
- Elevator Pitch
- Business of the Year
Each student received a certificate to mark their success. Finally, students reflected on the employability skills they had learned and developed throughout the day.
Year 8 were exceptional throughout, and Young Enterprise commented that this was one of the best groups they have ever worked with. We are incredibly proud of their creativity, teamwork, and enthusiasm.