Big UK Business Challenge for Devon school

The largest ever business competition involving 50,000 of Britain’s schoolchildren culminates in a grand final on July 4 including pupils from a Devon school.

A team of six from Devenport High School for Girls, Plymouth, will compete against 1,200 pupils from a total of 160 schools in the Ryman National Enterprise Challenge to find the best entrepreneurs of the future.

They will pitch their ideas and showcase their business skills to a panel of experts including Dragons Den star Theo Paphitis and the Times Educational Supplement editor. Apprentice winner James White will also be there.

It is the sixth year of the competition involving a total of 200,000 of the nation’s teenagers to give them the business skills to “open doors” to a brighter future as both entrepreneurs and employees.

The challenge was launched by cousins Ben and Michael Dyer, who grew up on a “Benefits Street” housing estate in Stoke and want to inspire the next generation into the world of work.

“We came up with the idea for the national enterprise challenge after hearing two businessmen in a café saying that young people were not ready for the world of work when they left school,” said Ben, who with Michael, runs the Inspirational Learning Group for schools, colleges and universities.

“Since then thousands of pupils have been taught business skills through the competition which has grown in popularity and is now the largest enterprise challenge in the UK.”

The event at the Telford International Centre in Shropshire will be hosted by Perri Kiely and Jordan Banjo, members of the Diversity dance group which won Britain’s Got Talent and hosted the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.

To enter your school next year visit the Ryman National Enterprise Challenge