STAR of the Sea Boys’ School in Sandymount turned into a Dragons’ Den recently as fifth class pupils collaborated on a range of amazing innovations during a special two-day business workshop.
Recycled tap water, interchangeable shoe soles and a sofa bunk bed were among the ideas formulated by the budding entrepreneurs.
The ideas were then pitched to local Dragon David Reid, the manager of the Ballsbridge branch of Bank of Ireland and Jennifer Peelo, Dundrum branch manager, who are some of Bizworld’s proud supporters.
During the two-day Bizworld workshop, tutored by Alison Brady, the children split into groups, each developing their own mini enterprise.
Bizworld is a not-for-profit organisation, chaired by Gavin Duffy, that promotes entrepreneurship skills for children at fifth class level.
It delivers simple workshops where pupils learn about money management and enterprise in a supportive and creative atmosphere.
Pupils are taken through the entire entrepreneurial cycle – from company formation and applying for jobs in their companies, to market research with younger classes in the school before designing, producing and marketing their business idea.
They learn about pitching for investment and get the opportunity to do so in real-life to a visiting Dragon who hears each company’s pitch and decides how many BizBucks to invest in their company.
Over 40,000 children have taken part in their free workshops around the country in the past two years, with more than 200 schools hosting programmes this year.
“Bizworld aims to address the lack of business education in primary schools and feed the students’ appetites for making commercial subject choices at second level,” said Bizworld CEO Fiona McKeon.
“Every secondary school subject is touched on at some point in the primary cycle except business, and if you haven’t been exposed to it, you are less likely to choose it as a discipline.
“One of the first things we ask at the start of a Bizworld workshop is whether students would pick business in secondary school.
“We usually get four to six hands at the start, and by the end of the two days it generally trebles.
“Everybody gets a director’s role in the company that suits their personality and skills, from marketing to design, sales and finance.”
To register a school for Bizworld, see bizworldireland.org.