Young entrepreneurs buzzing after competition win

A business idea based around bee conservation has helped a team of young entrepreneurs from Maesteg to win a national enterprise competition!

The business-savvy pupils from Garth Primary School picked up the top title at the annual Enterprise Troopers competition held by Welsh Government.

The children beat rival schools from across Wales after impressing judges with their ‘Bee-Spoke T-shirts’ business idea – bee themed t-shirts that they designed themselves to promote bee conservation and to raise money to provide security for the school’s bee hive after it was vandalised.

Enterprise Troopers, an annual competition run by Big Ideas Wales – part of the Welsh Government’s Youth Entrepreneurship Service – challenges teams of primary school children to run their own enterprises, selling merchandise and services of their choosing in their schools and local communities.

The competition aims to help pupils to apply their creativity and enterprise skills in a very practical way. It gives them an opportunity to showcase their achievements in business and demonstrate how they have developed their interests, strengths, skills and aspirations through their enterprise experience. Aligned to Welsh Government’s ambitions of the new curriculum, the competition demonstrates how schools are introducing work related experiences at this young age.

This has been an incredibly valuable experience for our pupils who have learnt and developed new skills, from team work, creative thinking and budgeting. They’ve made the school proud with their hard work throughout the Enterprise Troopers competition and we can’t wait to get back there and tell everyone the good news.

Julie Thomas, head teacher from Garth Primary School

Minister for Economy and Transport, Ken Skates said; “It is a privilege to see our youngest pupils enjoy this introduction to business and enterprise. They are talented in applying their entrepreneurial thinking to practical solutions. Focussed on their interests, environmental and societal problems to create ethical and profit making businesses.”

He added: “In preparing young people for the world of work and life, this exemplifies the ambitions of the new curriculum to develop creative enterprising contributors.”

Kevin Morgan, regional director for Business Banking and member of the NatWest Cymru Board, the event’s sponsor, said of the day’s accolades: “Garth Primary School is worthy winners of this year’s Enterprise Troopers competition, facing tough competition from across Wales. This competition is a fantastic opportunity for primary school children to develop skills which will be important in the world of work, including teamwork, creativity, working to deadlines and budgeting.”