Dolly Parting: Built for Business Success for Coleg Cambria Students

Dolly Parting: Built for Business Success for Coleg Cambria Students

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6)

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Special

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy

1Creativity and Innovation 2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management 5Reflection and Action 6Interpersonal Skills 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

 

  • To develop skills including communication, teamwork, numeracy, problem solving and creativity in level 1, 2 and 3 learners.
  • To give learners opportunities to compete in UK-wide enterprise competitions.

 

Introduction:

 

In the summer of 2015, four Hairdressing Students, from NE Wales Based FE College Coleg Cambria’s Deeside Site, were crowed winners of Barclays ‘Built for Business’: a UK-wide enterprise competition, targeting Level 1, 2 and 3 students, run as part of Barclays Money SkillsPrepare for Work’ programme.

The team was one of only five short-listed from across the UK to compete in the finals, which were held in Barclays’ head offices in Canary Wharf, London.

During their trip, the innovative students had to pitch an original business idea to a panel of expert judges including Chris Hearn, Head of Education at Barclays, and Sylvia Perrins, CEO of the National Skills Academy for Financial Services.

 

Activity:

 

Resources and information supporting this activity can be found through the Barclays Money Skills ‘Prepare for Work’ programme.

The competition invited students to work in groups (of between 2 and 4 people), to think of a new, innovative and sustainable business idea. The students were given an imaginary budget (of £10,000) and had to work as a team to produce a plan and pitch for how they would get their idea off the ground.

The winning Coleg Cambria Hairdressing students decided on an idea for a business called ‘Dolly Parting’: providing a full salon service and experience to people with disabilities, to the elderly, and to their carers and support workers.

Dolly Parting Team Photo

Figure 1:The winning 'Dolly Parting' Students

 

Impact:

 

Lynn Williams, Enterprise Lecturer at Coleg Cambria;

“We are delighted that the Coleg Cambria team won this highly esteemed prize. Competitions like these provide a great opportunity for our students to both develop and showcase their entrepreneurial skills. Dolly Parting’s business idea was every bit as innovative as their team name!”

 

Learner outcomes:

 

Lynn Williams, Enterprise Lecturer at Coleg Cambria;

“All of the learners involved in the Built for Business competition have increased their skills in many areas, including communication, teamwork, numeracy, sustainability, problem solving and creativity. The team that won (Dolly Parting) showed a high standard of all of these skills, and we’re extremely proud of them, and of all the learners who took part in the challenge.”

Kelly Meredith, Dolly Parting team member;

“This has given us a lot more confidence, and ideas of what we can achieve after we have finished college.”

 

Resources:

 

Barclays Money Skills ‘Prepare for Work’ resources > http://www.barclaysmoneyskills.com/Information/Our-projects/Prepare-for-Work.aspx

 

References:

 

About the Author
This guide was produced by Coleg Cambria.