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Leeds Sixth Form College business students level up in National Skills Challenge

Forty of our business students recently participated in the National Skills Challenge.

Led by the Inspirational Learning Group, in partnership with NatWest, our learners worked in teams to design, promote and pitch innovative solutions to real-world problems.

Each team used their key STEM 7 skills to identify an issue that affects them, their family, or their friends and then propose a service to tackle it. These skills are a set of attitudes and behaviours that are important across all jobs and involve creative thinking, communication, problem-solving, data-driven decisions, flexibility, and collaboration.

Putting STEM 7 into practice

Throughout the challenge, the students established customer, branding and marketing strategies, business growth plans and even guidelines on how to handle a crisis.

Their hard work paid off as two teams were selected to compete in the national grand finals at NatWest’s headquarters in London. After a week of intense preparation that involved working on marketing materials, rehearsing presentations and coordinating their professional outfits, they were ready to take the stage.

Each team presented their pitch to a NatWest panel of judges, with the four stand-out entries chosen to present to the whole event in the afternoon. Although our teams weren’t picked for the final presentations, they cheered on those who were and took the opportunity to reflect on their achievements.

Outstanding ambassadors

Judith Fish, our Deputy Head of Year 12, said: “It was a great day attending the National Skills Challenge grand finals. The students worked hard and were able to demonstrate how you can embed the key STEM 7 skills into non-science subjects.

“They acted as brilliant ambassadors for the college, showing resilience, teamwork, and professionalism throughout.” 

The students also attended a careers talk from NatWest’s graduate scheme and heard details, from apprenticeship employees, about the job opportunities available at the company.