News article
Yorkshire cadets join forces at career development event
Published: 11 July 2024
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Yorkshire cadets with Vice Chancellor Professor Karen Bryan OBE and Colonel Simon Banks-Cooper
York Business School hosted cadets from Humberside & South Yorkshire ACF, Yorkshire North & West and the Sea Cadets Corps on 6 and 7 July for the Tri-Service Business Weekend, an event aimed at fostering entrepreneurial skills and business acumen amongst young people.
Cadets learnt about entrepreneurship and running a business, with sessions covering accounting and finance, company law and marketing. Over the weekend the cadets gained insights and top tips from a range of local business leaders and organisations. The cadets also took part in group discussions to brainstorm and share business ideas, aiming to encourage creative thinking and foster camaraderie and collaboration between cadets from the different service branches.
Cherie Federico, Director of Aesthetica, delivered an inspiring keynote speech about how she founded the award-winning arts and culture organisation. Cherie also spoke about York’s status as a UNESCO City of Media Arts to inspire the young people to look for creative job opportunities in the region rather than moving south.
York based accountancy firm Azets held a session to help the cadets understand how to prepare financials for their business, focusing on tax, profit and loss and balance sheets. Lawyers from Walker Morris also came along to talk about legal considerations when setting up a business and the importance of intellectual property, using the famous Marks and Spencer Colin the Caterpillar cake and competitor equivalents as a case in point.
The weekend culminated in a Dragon’s Den style presentation where the cadets presented their business pitch to a panel of business academics from York St John University and local business leaders. This hands-on experience provided the cadets with invaluable feedback and real-world insights into the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship. The winning team were awarded a prize in recognition of their creativity, hard work and strategic thinking.
Colonel Simon Banks-Cooper, Honorary Colonel HSY, developed the event in collaboration with York Business School. He said:
"What a wonderful university campus on which to spend the weekend learning about business and enterprise. An opportunity that not only allows cadets to develop their knowledge, but also experience firsthand how many of the skills they acquire within the Cadet Forces overlap with those required in business, and gain an accredited qualification too. Proving again the relevance to employers and social impact Cadet Forces deliver. My sincere thanks to everyone at the York St John University Business School for hosting the cadets so magnificently and for putting this event together.”
Dr Rebecca Biggins, Associate Dean of York Business School said:
“It’s a huge privilege to be hosting the first Tri-Service Enterprise weekend at York Business School, at York St John University. Having the cadets on campus, discovering how businesses work, exploring their own business ideas and thinking about their future careers is an amazing opportunity for them and us. We hope this will be the first of many.”
Professor Karen Bryan OBE, Vice Chancellor of York St John University added:
“York St John University is proud to have hosted a unique weekend of learning for cadets across Yorkshire, Humber and the North East. Following an array of business focused sessions, and talks from inspirational figures in the sector, the cadets produced a range of impressive business pitches, putting their newfound skills into practice. We have received some really positive feedback from those involved, and hope that every attendee was able to take something positive away from the experience. For York St John, the weekend was a great example of our partnership approach with businesses, and the military, to provide enriching opportunities for young people.”
York St John University is a Gold Award holder within the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and delivers Military Human Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme which was developed by Nick Wood (Armed Forces and Uniformed Services Manager) and Mick Fleming (Armed Forces and Uniformed Services Officer), a programme that is taught throughout the UK.
Find out more about York Business School at York St John University.
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