College’s budding entrepreneurs take ‘Plunge’ with local business experts

Students from City College Brighton and Hove took the ‘Plunge’ recently, participating in an innovative two day event created by Working Knowledge, the Social Enterprise organisation dedicated to opening the eyes of business to young talent available locally.  ‘Plunge’ involved Working Knowledge engaging 15 local business experts, representing companies including Acumen Business Law, Trackpal, Propellernet and Pegasus PR, to help 120 students from a variety of courses develop their business ideas. The students ended the day with a ‘Dragon’s Den’- style pitch to their peers and the experts, with cash prizes on offer for winners.
 
One local business luminary who offered up their time to take part in the event was Clare Rogers, Founder of Brighton’s Treatment Rooms. Clare said: “It was really impressive to see what ideas young people have in Brighton for future businesses. Technology and environmentally-friendly ideas were dominant and some individuals really stood out as having business acumen. As a business owner, it was great to be involved as a mentor and feel the energy of our future entrepreneurs.”

“These kids were on fire!” enthused Peter Smith, Managing Partner of Hot to Trot Marketing Group, in a blog he posted on the IDG Connect Marketers website. “All of the judges were deeply impressed by the way these youngsters took up every idea we’d given them to improve their concepts.  I’d advise anyone hiring juniors, to look at students from their local FE colleges.” 

“It was fantastic to see students from across the various curriculum areas working together in teams, using their own subject skills to contribute to their team's proposals”, said City College’s Director of Commercial and Enterprise, Itziar Leighton. “The business experts were really impressed by our students, and I received many comments regarding the students’ willingness to engage, get out of their comfort zones and get stuck into the tasks at hand.”

For more information on courses at City College, contact 01273 667759, email info@ccb.ac.uk or see www.ccb.ac.uk

For City College media enquiries, please call Brian Bell, Marketing Communications Officer, on 01273 667788 Ext. 488 or email bb1@ccb.ac.uk

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