On Tuesday 4^th March, a team of four Level 3 Business students from Milton Keynes College participated in the South East Midlands Inter College Competition’s (SEMICC) Business Skills Competition, hosted at Aylesbury College. Accompanied by Dan Purdy, the Deputy Head of School for Digital and Business, and Jade Timpany, a Progress Mentor for Digital and Business, the students created and pitched a business idea to a panel of judges consisting of local employees.

SEMICC is an inter-college initiative focused on skills improvement, focusing on identifying skills that students can benefit from and organising competitions that provide an opportunity to showcase these skills while working as part of a team. In the first-ever Business Skills Competition, the team from MK College competed against six other colleges to present a business pitch they developed themselves.

Pitching a business named NeuroDen, the students created a plan for an application that would use generative AI chatbots to support young adults and parents facing long waiting lists for diagnoses for neurodiverse conditions through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The idea stemmed from the students’ personal experiences with neurodivergence and the complicated road to diagnosis. Identifying a gap in the market for many young people in similar situations, the students worked independently to develop this concept on the day, supported by Mark Jones from Blue Peak Consulting in creating a pitch deck.

The students had the opportunity to pitch their idea to a panel of employer mentors. Telling their story, the students presented a vision statement and an exploration of the issue, defining their technical solution and strategy for bringing the app to the market. Conducting a market analysis and a summary of what the company’s finances might look like, the students also discussed how they can make their product sustainable and carbon neutral.

While the top prize was won by Moulton College, the judges complimented the MK College team for their work and identified them as close runners up. The students were awarded Amazon vouchers as a token of appreciation for their participation. The students walked away with a sense of achievement, having created a business pitch from scratch and confidently pitched it to a panel of employers. The team’s entrepreneur mentor offered support in turning the business idea into a real service – the next step would be to build an app prototype.

Jacob from the MK College student team said: “I wanted to participate but at first there was a bit of worry about speaking in front of people. It meant I had to choose between fear and taking a risk – and I knew which would be more beneficial.

“I enjoyed the day of the competition, collaborating with my friends outside of the classroom displayed how well we can work together, even under pressure. Despite us being nervous before speaking in front of the judges, we walked in as if we knew we had won already. That gave us the confidence to speak without worrying about the result and walking out of the judges’ room felt great because of how well we had done despite the pressure. We didn’t think we’d do so well and all of us being proud of our project felt great.”

Fellow teammate Colby said: “It was a very enjoyable experience – it allowed me to expand on some of my skills and work together with different groups while learning about their new ideas. I think the competition was well designed, allowing each team to have their own space and a fair amount of time to communicate positively with each other.”

Dan Purdy, Head of School for Digital and Business at Milton Keynes College, said: “I have been blown away how incredibly well these learners have done to come up with a viable technological product that provides a meaningful service in such a short time frame. To then pitch this so confidently in front of a team of entrepreneur dragons was the highlight for me. They demonstrated a whole host of essential, entrepreneurial, and vocational skills throughout the competition process, and I would love to see them take this tech product further if they choose to do so.”

To learn more about Business Studies at Milton Keynes College, read more here.

Joanne was working in a school kitchen for 10 years to fit around family and childcare commitments. She had always wanted to work in medical records.

Discover how her Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship has allowed her to learn and train at the same time, as well as improving her confidence and self-belief.

“Now my children are older, I have more freedom to focus on what I wanted to do.”

Joanne’s Story  

“I was looking for jobs in medical records, so I was searching on the NHS jobs site to see what opportunities were out there. That’s when I found the apprenticeship advertised.

I had done my Level 2 in Business Administration at home and was planning on applying for a full-time position. But, after seeing the benefits of doing the Level 3 apprenticeship, I considered it a great option with all the training alongside.

School wasn’t my best friend; and the apprenticeship gave me the chance to redo my maths and English.

I’m now working at the hospital as a Clinical Documentation Administrator and my confidence and self-belief have improved so much.

In the school kitchen I was working with only one other person – so it was quite isolating. Working in the hospital is a big change of environment – there are always lots of people around, which I love. 

I would really recommend an apprenticeship. The main benefit has been getting a better understanding of the overall business environment. I know what I’m talking about now, which gives me confidence. I’ve also had a promotion – which has made it worth making the financial sacrifice in the short term.

The main challenge for me along the way has been being Mum while working in a full-time position and studying. I have two kids, so at times it’s tough to juggle everything. But my Fiancé has been so supportive. My son now gets the bus home from school because I’m not there to pick him up.

I was also nervous about being one of the oldest when I started the apprenticeship – but it wasn’t as traumatic as I expected!

Nikki, my tutor at MK College, has been amazing. Sometimes you naturally doubt yourself, and she gives you the boost you need. She’s always available at the drop of a hat. My employer support mentor within the department has also been amazing.”

Joanne’s advice and tips to anyone starting an apprenticeship:

“My tips would be don’t put too much pressure on yourself, they don’t expect you to know it all. You’re there to learn. Make sure you can put in the hours needed before you commit. It’s tricky getting the work life balance right. But worth doing.”

If you’re interested in starting or changing your career with an apprenticeship, click below to browse our range of options