The 13 teams in the final of the RSG 2012 Bristol Young Student of the Year awards have just a few hours before discovering whether they have won.
The students, from secondary schools and sixth form colleges across Bristol, will gather this afternoon at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway to take part in the grand final of the contest, which aims to bridge the gap between employers and young people.
The overall winner will receive a life-changing £18,000 scholarship with BPP to study law, accountancy or business. The contest award categories are Best Presentation, Best Overall Team Performance, Best Project Manager, Most Innovative Student, Most Improved Student and Best Overall Student.
The RSG Bristol Young Student of the Year Awards, now in its second year, is a six-month competition to up-skill students and connect them with businesses. It was open to 16-19 year olds.
Participants presented their final ideas two weeks ago for a ground-breaking portal designed to give students access to real apprenticeships, work experience and job opportunities.
The winning portal will also act as a platform for businesses to sift through the profiles of potential young jobs seekers and is envisaged to be a LinkedIn for students.
Teams of between two and four, from State schools, colleges and academies across the Bristol region, presented their final ideas to a panel of high-profile business professionals as part of the final stage of the competition.
The finalists are:
- Teams Artemis and APS from Ashton Park Sixth Form
- Certified, from Castle School Sixth Form
- Building Bridges from Downend Post 16
- Inspire from Marlwood School
- Patchway Power 4 from Patchway Community College
- SBL from EXCEL
- SGS Success from South Gloucestershire and Stroud College
- Victorious from St Brendan’s Sixth Form College
- Infinity from St Brendan’s Sixth Form College
- Aspire – St Brendan’s Sixth Form College
- Victorious – St Brendan’s Sixth Form College
- Team Evolve from St Katherine’s Sixth Form
This year, more than 100 students from 16 participating schools entered – almost double the number that took part in last year’s inaugural competition.
The theme for this year’s competition has been Bristol Young Futures, which involved pairing students with real clients from key industry sectors in Bristol and creating a concept that feeds directly into a dedicated online portal showcasing career opportunities available to young people in the region.
Clifton-based national recruitment company Resource Solutions Group (RSG) is the competition’s founding and main sponsor.
RSG chief executive Mike Beesley said: “We have been inspired by the high level of business and creative acumen that has been on display.
“In a competition such as this, where students can immerse themselves in the business world yet retain the necessary support and guidance from their schools we can effectively increase commercial awareness in young people that will be of benefit both to their future and that of the UK economy.
“We are delighted that schools across the city have recognised the importance and effectiveness of this event and its significance in today’s economic climate.”
Founder and event organiser Elaine Brown added: “As a group of employers who organise this competition, we recognise the importance of developing employability skills in young people. We are delighted to receive such enthusiasm and support this year, which is testament to the ongoing commitment of people from all areas of business and education to ensure a brighter employment future for all our young people.”
