Pupils from Dylan Thomas have taken part in an enterprising after-school business club, selling Joe’s ice cream to their friends and teachers.
The initiative was delivered in partnership with Gower College Swansea lecturer Lucy Turtle and former pupil Curtis Cana as part of the Kick Start Programme.
“Our task was to work with the pupils during a 6-week programme where they had to develop a business plan and make a profit for their school,” says Lucy. “The start-up cost for this venture was funded by the college’s Reaching Wider project, which enables us to offer a range of learning and aspiration-raising activities that creates pathways into further education. I was very fortunate to have Curtis, who is currently on a work placement at the college, work alongside me on this.”
“This has been a great opportunity for the pupils to link with Gower College Swansea and Curtis, who has been a fantastic mentor,” adds teacher Ali Karam. “They have created a business plan, carried out market research and worked out the amount of profit we can make for our school. We really appreciate all the support and guidance from Curtis and Lucy and look forward to continuing this successful venture.”
The Kick Start Programme is an initiative developed by Gower College Swansea and aimed at Key Stage 4 students from across Swansea who enrol at college to complete a BTEC in Vocational Studies. This course enables them to study a range of different pathways and gives them the opportunity to discover an area of interest that they could pursue on leaving school.
Photo: Chris Costello