By The Bridge Careers Service

On Friday 27th January, we were joined by volunteers Joey Russ and Richard Yeates of Young Enterprise, who facilitated an event for our Year 9 students, that focused on skill development and financial education.

We began our event with an important workshop exploring types of jobs, dream lifestyles, and cost of living. This led into a fun team building activity, involving gummies and spaghetti, where students were asked to build the tallest, most stable tower using only the ingredients given to them in a short amount of time. Students were left with the sense of how important having to track resources and time can be, how to work as a team and divide roles, and how to strategise.

After a short break, student groups were tasked with creating their own business and preparing a plan for product development, marketing, and events. Groups were eager to start, already hard at work actively communicating about which of their teammates would represent which department, brainstorming ideas for names and design, and deliberating costs and loans.

It finally came to the moment each group was asked to prepare an elevator pitch to their fellow peers. Students blew everyone away with their impressive entrepreneurial skills having made very enticing pitches. It was a wonder to see the creative collaboration and detailed work each group put in, with businesses like the Connected Life a phone repair shop so customers can stay connected or Flamin’ Hot a hot new burger joint with a delicious menu. All groups were asked to create t-shirt logos, but many also included other visual aids like clothing lines and menus. Some even tried their hand at creating commercials jingles to promote their products/business.

It was a morning spent well, a time where students were able to build upon their work knowledge and develop key skills. Perhaps we will see many of these businesses come alive in the near future.