Retail challenge set by Apprentice star and Meadowhall
Published: 29 April, 2010
Claire Young, entrepreneur and finalist on the BBC Apprentice series in 2008, and Meadowhall, Yorkshire’s premier Shopping Centre, have joined forces to support a ground breaking social enterprise project for school pupils in South Yorkshire.
Young, with support from Meadowhall, has set an ‘Apprentice’ style retail workshop in conjunction with the South Yorkshire Enterprise Learning Partnership, in which 40 selected students from around the region will be divided into teams and given the opportunity to design the retail fashion outlet of the future.
The project will be judged by a Dragon's Den-style panel including Young and Richard Pinfold, marketing director of Meadowhall.
This is the first event for South Yorkshire Enterprise Learning Partnership and is also the first time South Yorkshire has worked together to develop great enterprise practice. The pioneering project aims to increase both the quality and quantity of enterprise education in the four sub regions of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.
Young comments: “This is such a great project and I’m delighted to be involved. I think more local business leaders should be getting out there and inspiring the younger generations to get passionate about business and develop their enterprising skills. I think it's key that students have 'real life' projects to work on and can relate to the working adult world.”
Pinfold adds: “As a key regional employer and retail destination, Meadowhall has an important contribution to make to the communities within the region.
“Young people and education in our communities is a key focus in our corporate social responsibility plans, and we’re delighted to be supporting this enterprise education challenge. I’m looking forward to seeing the students’ thoughts and ideas on the future of fashion retail.”
