Apax-Mosaic Enterprise Challenge 2016 – Regional Final

On Wednesday, 9th March, Mr Enid Shala accompanied the three Moor End finalists Hamah, Musa and Omorinsola, all in Year 10, to the final of the Mosaic Enterprise Challenge in Leeds. All three were ‘exceptional’.

The students had 45 minutes before the event to prepare a presentation about a social project they had to come up with and present in front of a high number of professional bodies. The project that the students came up with tackled poverty and crime in deprived areas. The project involved opening up centres for young people to attend in order to occupy themselves and learn important life skills that can be transferred to everyday life. Overall, the students came 3rd out of 170 teams that were entered. They were complimented on their impeccable behaviour, as well as their smart school uniforms. 

Prior to the final, the three students were chosen from an original forty four  enterprising Business students who were selected to take part in the Apax-Mosaic Enterprise Challenge led by Mrs Norbury and Mr Atkinson, together with business mentors from Cummins Turbo Technologies of Huddersfield, Lloyds Banking Group, Fusion IT and Virgin East Coast Trains. This is the second year we have entered this national competition created to foster business and enterprise skills.

Mosaic was founded by HRH the Prince of Wales in 2007 and provides a mentoring programme to create opportunities for young people by linking them with inspirational role models to boost their confidence, self-efficacy and long term employability. Mosaic’s Enterprise Challenge is an inter-school competition which encourages a spirit of entrepreneurship amongst young people.

Our students were entered into the competition in 9 teams of 5 and competed not only against each other but against other schools from the Yorkshire Region by trading in a business simulation game. They had to choose a product, take it to market and sell it completing 3 ‘years’ of trading. The competition also focusses on ethical issues that could affect each of the products.

Last year’s teams were very successful with one ‘superteam’ making it to the Regional Finals in Leeds – so we were hoping to make it to the Regional Finals again in March with our best performing ‘business’ and, even better, to the Grand Final in London, where we may win a visit to 10 Downing Street! Unfortunately, we came third.

Alex Stelfox, Purchasing Engineer from Cummins Inc., was really impressed by the students’ participation and early feedback from the organisers is that the Moor End teams are currently amongst the highest scoring!