A busy Global Entrepreneurship Week at Bridgend College

Global Entrepreneurship Week took place from 16 - 22 November 2009. It's a worldwide movement of entrepreneurial people, with millions unleashing their enterprising talents and turning their ideas into reality.

Staff and students at Bridgend College enjoyed a busy week taking part in a wide range of enterprise initiatives. Below is a summary of the activities that took place:

Make Your Mark Challenge 2009

The Make Your Mark Challenge 2009 was titled ‘Let local inspiration lead you to a ‘cool' creation' with the challenge to come up with a new and innovative business idea that takes its inspiration from something local. The business could be a product or a service so long as it was a ‘cool' creation and makes money.

Over 600 students took part within Bridgend College, and over 70,000 nationwide. Students from the School of Construction (Jason Roderick, Jesada Chunounsee, Owain Lewis and Jon Standen) where selected to go forward to the regional trial held in Cardiff on Friday 27 November.

The students presented their pitch for their business idea based on umbrellas made from recyclable material, which are sold via vending machines which are also made from recycled goods and run by solar power. They came third and were also awarded a prize for ‘thinking on their feet' in relation to how they responded to the judging panels questions.

Each team was also gifted a Hazel Tree which in the interest of reducing their carbon footprint, will compensate for the fuel used to attend the event. The tree will be planted at the Pencoed Campus in the spring.

BIG Dragon Winner

Students from Art and Design, Performing Arts, Engineering, Business, Media, and Hair and Beauty competed in a dragons den style competition pitching to entrepreneurs Mark Roach (Dynamo Role Model), David Bolton (Venture Wales), Laura Molding (VS4B) and Sharone Williams (Dynamo Role Model).

A team of six students from Art and Design won with their pitch for their company ‘Ja Swieta' which produce Christmas gift wrapping and cards. They received a trophy and cheque for £100 and will represent Bridgend College competing against 22 other FE colleges in Wales in the Global Enterprise Challenge in March 2010.

One Green Paperclip

A joint venture with Pembrokeshire College, students swopped items and shared ideas and best practice.

The Barnardo's one green paperclip challenge starts with one green paperclip which the students trade to obtain an item of higher value. Students then sell their final items and all the money raised goes towards helping the vulnerable children Barnardo's works with.

Women's Day

Women's Enterprise Day is all about celebrating women in business and encouraging many more to turn their passions into profit.

Students were asked to invite a female member of their family to come into the College with them, also a number of community projects joined us for the event and take part in an Enterprise Workshop which involved design and manufacture a gift bag business which tested their business skills including decision making, quality, finance and marketing.

Andrea Meyrick from ebp and Angela Giddon, Dynamo Role Model lead this event.

Craft Fayre

Community groups, staff and students came together in the Student Common Room to sell products and services including beauty treatments, cakes and Christmas gifts. The event was opened and enjoyed by Councillor Jefferson Tildesley, Mayor of Bridgend County Borough Council.

Stock Market Challenge

Students from Construction, Art, Design and Media joined students from Coleg Glan Hafran, Barry College, St David's RC College and UWIC under the CAVE (Cardiff and Vale Enterprise) Consortia, to take part in a stock market challenge with the group achieving the greatest profit winning. The winners were from Coleg Glan Hafran.

Stock Market Challenge is an interactive, experiential learning tool which brings the unique intensity and excitement of a live trading floor. The game is simulated and time-pressured makes the learning experience effective and rewarding. It enhances the development of skills such as team-working, risk assessment, working under pressure and communication.

World Trade Fair

On the South Bank of London, under the shadow of the Millennium Wheel, young entrepreneurs gathered for the World Trade Fair. Students from the National Diploma in Business at Bridgend College, along with Lecturers Claire George and Victoria Williams, had a stall to represent Achievers International, selling goods imported from Ghana, and social enterprise with ‘Cwtch' where students where giving visitors a cwtch and had branded t-shirts on sale.

The Cwtch initiative was particularly well received, with most visitors unaware what a cwtch is. The fair proved a very successful means of testing the market for ‘cwtch' merchandise.  

The Bridgend College stall was visited by BBC reporters, Max Larcombe, Project Manager for Achievers International and the Make your Mark team.