Business Enterprise Project off to a flying start!

On the 25^th of April, Year 6 pupils in the south cluster of primary schools took part in the launch day of our very first Business Enterprise Project, which ran in Aberfan Leisure Centre and Ynysowen Primary School. The day, which ran in conjunction with Paul Gray and Andrew Evans from MTEC, began with an address from Councillor Andrew Barry focusing on the importance of entrepreneurial skills and Merthyr Tydfil’s famous entrepreneurs.

Then, throughout the day, pupils moved through four main workshops which covered the essential elements of business management. We were delighted to have four representatives on board from NatWest who ran our ‘Introduction to Business’ session. In this session, pupils learned about the importance of business banking and having a solid business plan. Nathan Martin, Regional Board Engagement Manager at NatWest Cymru Board, said: "The Merthyr Tydfil's Business Enterprise Project is a fantastic opportunity to educate young people on the foundations of the world of business. At NatWest, we appreciate how daunting running a business can seem, but events such as this teach children that isn't necessarily the case.”

Pupils also took part in three other workshops entitled ‘Profit and Loss’ run by Jessica White from The Development Bank of Wales, ‘Marketing and Advertising’ lead by Mark Boucher of Future Digital Education and ‘Product Development’ delivered by Adrian De Courcey, a prominent business consultant. These sessions allowed pupils the opportunity to design various products, produce a successful marketing strategy and work within profit margins. With Curriculum in Wales focusing on building ‘enterprising, creative contributors’, these sessions formed the perfect opportunity for pupils to develop their entrepreneurial skills in readiness for the world of work. Mark Boucher also added that it was “so encouraging” to see pupils enthusiastic about engaging and taking part in business-minded sessions.

During the day, pupils were also treated to a talk from a business leader covering their various paths to success. Kevin Baker, creator of Tyre Glider, opened these sessions discussing how he developed and designed a unique product in the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown. Gwen, a Year 6 pupils from Abercanaid, said: “I loved the talk with Tyre Glider as I liked learning about engineering and how this had developed into a business.” Adam Smith, from The Content Machine, also spoke about overcoming difficulties surrounding Artificial Intelligence in his business journey while Ian Benbow from Case UK discussed his pathway into establishing a successful wellbeing service. These sessions, and the wider workshops, were also supported by students from Merthyr College who recently undertook their own Level 3 business qualifications and were, therefore, perfectly placed to support the day.

Pupils now have just under seven weeks to develop their business products and business plans ready for our showcase day on the 12^th of June. On this day, business leaders, governors and local authority representatives will return to award a number of prizes for the most successful business plans and projects. We would like to extend a huge thank you to all of our presenters for kickstarting the project in such a successful way!

Successful mentoring programme for the BETP sees final session take place 

Monday the 22nd of April saw the final mentoring session with Year 11 pupils take place in Pen-y-Dre High School.  Throughout February, March and April, Year 11 pupils have been supported and mentored by employers and staff from Dwr Cymru, Future Digital Education, Design and Supply, Aspire Apprenticeships, Tilbury Douglas, MTCBC and Merthyr Valleys Homes as they approach their external GCSE exams.

Pupils have been involved with 3 sessions covering topics such as SMART target setting, revision tips and writing revision timetables. Pupils conveyed how beneficial it has been to receive help and support from outside the school environment and from employers directly working within Merthyr Tydfil. It has also been hugely valuable for employers to understand the challenges faced by our young people and the pressures they experience in the run up to exam season. Annie Smith, Community Liaison Manager at Dwr Cymru, commented on how advantageous the programme had been and stated: “By the end of the programme a number of individuals had clearly gained from the support they were given.” It was also a wonderful full-circle experience for some of our mentors, in particular Leanne Williams, Helen Goode and Mark Boucher, who returned to Pen-y-Dre having been to the school themselves as pupils.

On behalf of the BETP, we would like to say a huge thank you to all employers involved in helping our pupils prepare for their exams and final stretch of Year 11. Pob lwc, pawb.