College to host national Young Enterprise competition

Ambitious entrepreneurs from throughout the UK are descending on Loughborough College this week for the Young Enterprise UK Start Up Competition 2022.

The College, which has won the last two UK competitions and represented the UK in the European finals, will host a number of university and college teams in this year’s contest. It is only the second time the College has hosted the event.

Teams will pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges in a series of interviews and 10 awards are up for grabs. The winning team will go on to represent the UK in the final which is being held in Tallinn, Estonia, later this year.

Two teams from the College’s Higher Education Centre will take part in the final:

• Soteria, a group of four students from the Foundation Degree Events and Hospitality programme, will showcase their personal security device that can be discretely embedded within jewellery or personal accessories and can send distress alerts to nominated contacts and the emergency services without being connected to a mobile device.
   
• The Coaching Edge, a trio from the BSc Sports Science with Management course, have developed a service that helps primary school teachers to deliver engaging and effective PE lessons. This service upskills teachers and provides online CPD to refresh and revitalise physical education at primary school level.

Iqbal Ullah, who leads on Young Enterprise for College and heads the Foundation Degree in Business Management, said: “The value of this type of experience cannot be underestimated in terms of the transferable skills developed that enhances students’ employability skills. Previous students have said how their experiences helped them secure their first graduate position or helped them make the transition to starting their own business.

“Overall, the aim of this programme is to open up possibilities for students to explore and realise their strengths. This is what makes our students more employable, and more likely to be change makers.

“With the teams we have competing this year, I believe we have a very strong chance of making it three years in a row as Young Enterprise UK Start-Up champions and go on to compete at the European stage in Tallinn, Estonia.”

The teams will be flying the flag for Loughborough College in the final against:

• University of Hertfordshire
• University Centre Blackburn College
• Manchester Met
• TEC Partnership Grimsby
• New College Durham
• University Academy 92
• University of Ulster
• University of Salford
• St Mary’s University Belfast

Students said the Young Enterprise experience has been one of the best since starting their degree and has enabled them to explore the entrepreneur inside of them.

The process has helped them develop their teamworking skills and working collaboratively towards a common goal. 

Iqbal added: “Both teams feel there is a real opportunity to take their ideas forward and are already exploring connections and networks that can assist in the development of the businesses. Winning the UK title would provide a huge platform from which they can drive forward.”

Image features previous Young Enterprise Winners.