The launch events will be attended by 300 students and give them an overview of the Challenge as well as a series of talks about different aspects of running their own business. There are eighty teams of students, aged 11 – 16, and each team is supported by a mentor from Barclays, EY, Ogier or Sure who will help equip them with skills which are relevant to the workplace. Participating schools from Guernsey are Grammar, La Mare de Carteret and St Sampson's High School and from Jersey are Beaulieu, Grainville, Haute Vallee, Jersey College for Girls, Les Quennevais and Victoria College.
Kate Kirk, Head of Marketing at Ogier, said "We have two new schools in Jersey participating so this will be the biggest Channel Islands Student Business Challenge as more schools and students are taking part than ever before. Our new schools are Beaulieu and Les Quennevais and we wish their teams well along with teams from all the other schools."
Teams have two months to develop their business acumen before facing a final "Dragon's Den" where they will need to impress the judges with their abilities to run a profitable business and / or benefit the local community. Awards ceremonies will be held on 22 May in Guernsey and 23 May in Jersey to celebrate the achievements of the teams and announce the winners of the 2019 Channel Islands Student Business Challenge.
The Channel Islands Student Business Challenge has been running for six years and in that time the students have made net profits of over £100,000 through setting up and running their own business.
Alun Watkins, Headteacher of Victoria College said "All schools aim to inspire and motivate their students and the Channel Islands Student Business Challenge does exactly this. The launch event will give the students valuable insight into what is in store for them and give them the confidence to start-up their own businesses.
Vicky Godley, Headteacher of La Mare de Carteret School added "Our students will benefit hugely from this Challenge. We will see them grow in confidence, become more organised and get better at working in teams. I am sure that the teams will work hard to raise money for their chosen charities and will get an enormous sense of pride as they bring their business ideas to life."
Francesca Vadher, Head of Marketing at Sure said "The vast majority of teams decide to give a generous percentage of their profits to charity. This means that in the six years the Challenge the been running over £32,000 has been donated to local and national charities which is an impressive amount by any standards."
This year's contestants will be trading from 21 January to 31 March and selling products such as animal themed gifts, mugs, jewellery and candles as well as recycling items to make new products as they compete to become winners of the Channel Islands Student Business Challenge 2019.
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