Business

Young entrepreneurs take on health challenge

BUDDING entrepreneurs from 22 further education colleges across Wales, including Coleg Ceredigion, have been challenged to develop an innovative product or service that covers the needs of the health, well-being and social care sector.

The students, who are taking part in the Global Entrepreneur-ship Challenge at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, have been given 24 hours to develop a business plan and three-minute, pre-recorded presentation. They will present their plan tomorrow (Wednesday) morning to a panel of leading business people from the private and public sectors.

Teams of six students from Coleg Ceredigion will be compet-ing to represent Wales against 14 other countries in the world final of the prestigious competition in Bali later this year.

“The teams have found it quite challenging but there are some very interesting ideas develop-ing,” said Julie Masters, enter-prise education manager for Welsh Assembly Government’s Department for the Economy and Transport. “some of the ideas have been extremely innovative and the role model working with the teams are very excited about the work they have been doing with the young people.”

The competition, which show-cases creativity and innovation, is the culmination of months of activities from several thousand students who have battled to represent their college in this national final.

The team selected to represent Wales will be following the successes of Coleg Meirion Dwyfor who came third to Australia and New Zealand in 2008 and Coleg Sir Gar who won the world title in 2005.

Each team is mentored by a successful business owner who has been appointed a role model for the Welsh Assembly Government’s Dynamo Programme, which encourages young entrepreneurs.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s Deputy Minister for science, innovation and skills lesley Griffiths said: “It is vital that we provide young people in Wales with the opportunity to develop the attitudes, values and skills that are needed in both education and the world of work.”