Students’ real-life lesson in business

Students who set up their own business are busy producing stock to sell at its first event.

Elite Enterprise is made up of 11 students from The Dukeries College and Complex, Ollerton.

They are studying a new two-year higher business, administration and finance diploma course.

They formed their business in September under the Young Enterprise scheme to practise the skills learned in the classroom.

As part of the course, they must gather practical evidence of a business.

The school’s head of business, Mrs Alwynne Wilson, said each student had a different role in the company, which has weekly board meetings.

They each had shares to sell.

A local businessman, Mr Tony Cawthorne, who works for Bosch, regularly visits the school to give the students advice.

Mrs Wilson said: “They are over the moon with it. It has taken over.

“They are learning so much. They have started to realise what it takes to run a real business.”

The youngsters are making greetings cards and accessories to sell at the school’s winter fair, which takes place tomorrow in the concert hall, from 10am-noon.

After Christmas, they plan to develop their range and hold a car washing event.