Dragon Winner works with Students

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS in the South Devon College Peter Jones Enterprise Academy have been working with a Dragon’s Den Winner at a World Skills event in London.

South Devon College students Harriet Faiers (16, from Torquay) and Laila Mo (16, from Brixham) agreed to help out at The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy stand at World Skills London 2011, the largest ever international skills competition and careers event involving young people from 51 countries/regions competing to be the best in their chosen skill. The learners didn’t realise, however, that they would be working with a Dragon’s Den winner.

Christian Hartmann appeared on the current series of Dragons Den looking for £70,000 for his business Love Da Popcorn - unique flavoured popcorn not heavily loaded with sugar that he was looking to turn into a more modern mainstream snack. He came out with exactly that after dragon Peter Jones CBE was impressed enough to make an offer. He was then asked by the dragon to appear on the same stand with the South Devon College Enterprise Academy students, providing popcorn to any students at World Skills London 2011 that could give him a viable idea for a business.

 “The South Devon College Enterprise students get to meet a local business person at least once week,” commented Bob Tapp, Harriet and Laila’s tutor, “but to meet someone who was successful on Dragon’s Den was an added bonus”.

The Enterprise Academy was founded by Dragon’s Den star Peter Jones CBE in 2008 and aims to teach and support Devon’s next generation of entrepreneurs, helping them develop and hone their business skills with the aim of setting up their own business.  Students attend the Academy and receive support from course tutors, established entrepreneurs and business leaders to achieve a Level 2 and/or Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. Courses are designed to be different and combine classroom learning with hands-on experience through masterclasses, workshops, business surgeries, work placements, industry-experienced tutors and networking events.

The next Peter Jones Enterprise Academy course will commence in January 2012.