While Lord Sugar Catapulted into his tenth crusade to demolish a fresh round of Apprentice ego’s, hopeful youngsters launched into Dorset’s enterprise and skills challenge at Voip Unlimited.

A team of students from years 12-13 at St Edwards School, Queen Elizabeth School and Bournemouth School for Girls met VoIP Unlimited managing director Mark Pillow to discuss strategy for this year’s Enterprise and SkillsChallenge.

Designed to develop employability and entrepreneurial skills in Dorset’s young people, the Enterprise and Skills Challenge will see teams of students across the county create their own small businesses selling real products with the support of a local business expert.

Student Georgina Leonard is looking forward to the challenge, said:
“I wanted to sign up to this project for the experience that could be gained and to see what skills you need to start up a business.”

As a team mentor, Mark Pillow will counsel his group of students in how to raise starting capital in order to design, buy-in or manufacture an innovative product to sell in an effort to help them win the coveted Bournemouth University ‘Company of the Year Award’, one of the sponsored trophies on offer.

Mark said of the competition: “I’m really looking forward to working with these students and mentoring them through this opportunity. The Enterprise and Skills Challenge enables students to gain hands on experience of running a small business whilst learning vital skills that can be used in the future.”

The programme will conclude in February 2015 with a dazzling showcase of talent judged by prominent local business people and an award ceremony with individual and group awards for a number of business categories.