Students from Newtown College and Brecon Beacons College had reason to celebrate recently after taking two of the top three places at the Positive Pathways Powys Competition held in conjunction with the Choose Your Future Powys Careers Event 2020.
The competition which was open to all Powys students aged between 14 – 19 years who put forward a business concept in a Dragon’s Den style pitch to judges from local business and members of the Powys County Council.
The challenge was to present a business case on ‘What business would you set up in Powys in 2020 and why?’
There were over 35 entrants to the competition and three groups were shortlisted. Newtown College Gateway group of students – Bradie Mcbride, Sean Hill, Scott Lewis, Isabel Brinkley, Sarah Yapp, Matthew Bumford and Joel Cadman worked together on a proposal for ‘Diod’ Water fountains situated in remote areas to support and encourage people to use the countryside to reduce waste and the use of plastic. The group used a combination of puppetry and Powerpoint to present their idea which came second in the competition. Brecon Beacons College student, George Hardiman presented an exciting idea called ‘Sky High’ to build a trampoline park in Powys.
The judges included entrepreneurs who have set up their own business in Powys Sharon Hammond (owner of Quackers), Toby Weale and Dewi Evans (Weale’s Wheels) and Cllr James Evans Economic Development, Housing & Regulatory Services.
Jayne Bevan, Powys County Council Strategic Programme & Business Manager explained that the finalists had all done a fantastic job and that the judges had been very impressed with the ideas and had found it a very close contest.
The sponsors of the event were Weale’s Wheels and WhatAboutMe https://www.wamwhataboutme.co.uk/contact
