PUPILS from Harris and Rugby high schools proved their business nous by winning a competition for future entrepreneurs.
The Wood You team, comprising students from both schools, won the Young Enterprise Company Programme challenge, making a profit of over £500 by founding and running a company for a whole year.
The group sold over £1,000 worth of bespoke wooden chopping boards and other wooden items.
The group was rewarded at an awards evening at Rugby High School, where participating companies included pupils from Avon Valley, Ashlawn, Bilton, Lawrence Sheriff, Rugby High and Harris schools.
In a keynote speech to the audience, MP Mark Pawsey said: “I am always inspired by the great ideas that the young achievers come up with and the enthusiasm that they always put in to their ventures.
“It gives me great pleasure to see the great enterprise spirit coming through, and I hope that many of them run their own businesses once they have completed their studies.”
The Young Enterprise charity’s Company Programme challenges students to run a real firm for a year under the guidance of a business volunteer, giving them practical experience of the joys and pitfalls of creating a truly functioning enterprise.
The pupils raise initial share capital, design and make their product or service, sell directly to customers at trade fairs, wind up the firm and pay their taxes.