Year 12 - BTEC Business

This week the yr 13 BTEC business students have been working on their organisation and marketing skills to sell Nations Fox key chains, with all proceeds going to the Zambia project.   They have entertained the PYP with their energetic Mr Fox dance moves and enthusiasm.  This follows a 10 week long process where the students had create  a business case including budgets and projections, marketing plans, advertising campaigns, as well as manufacturing the key chains themselves.  This has required imagination, teamwork, leadership and energy.  The key chains will be on sale for just 2 more days  - Monday and Tuesday next week and a new production batch will be needed because of their success!  The keychains are 5CHF each and so far about 700CHF has been raised for the Zambia project!  

Year 12 - BTEC Business and Art

The BTEC Business and Art students have been working on redesigning the IB lounge for the DP and CP students. The Art students completed a mural to improve the design and the feel of the lounge. The Business students researched the benefits of a student lounge, proposed a design with furniture and a room layout, and presented their ideas to school administrators. We hope to have a relaxing and beautiful space in the next year.

Year 12 - BTEC - Careers Fair

The BTEC business students organised a careers evening for the year 11 students to enable them to challenge their thinking about possible careers.  The theme of the evening was ‘Discovering the Unknown’ so that students could learn from professionals with jobs they may never have heard of or considered.  The BTEC students invited 21 speakers onto campus and worked with Cuisine Lab (a charity working with refugee chefs) to provide catering. The feedback from both students and guests has been very positive with one student saying, “the most important thing I learned is that passion, curiosity and hard work are key ingredients to happiness in work,’ and another, ‘there are so many jobs that I have never heard of!’  We thank all the volunteer speakers, student helpers, service technique and the year 12 BTEC students for supporting this successful and informative event.

Year 12 and 13 - BTEC Trip to the UN

Recently the BTEC business students in years 12 and 13 visited the UN for a GEL (Global Entrepreneurial Leadership) summit in conjunction with the UK charity, Wild Hearts.  The summit looked at the challenges business faces in considering the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals. They also considered what entrepreneurship is and how tomorrow's entrepreneurs have to also be aware of and driven by these goals.

The students were fortunate enough to listen to speakers such as Princess Zahra Aga Khan from the Aga Khan Development Network, Antonio Hautle, Executive Director of the Global Compact Network Switzerland and Cheryl Kiser, Executive Director of the US Babson Social Innovation Lab, Ian Walker, Senior Director of Global Community Impact at Johnson and Johnson as well as Stephan Hirschi the Director of Sustainability & Climate Change, Pwc and Wadia Ait Hamza, Global Shapers, World Economic Forum.

The day was an informative and enriching and underpinned much of the work done in the business course.

Year 12 - BTEC Business - Zambia

Yr 12 CP business are joining forces with the PTA to promote filling the crates at the back of the school to support the ZEEK project in Zambia. At the same time, they are working on their teamwork skills (underpinned by teamwork & leadership theories in class).  They will be working with service technique to sort the deposited items, filling the containers, helping with the party and cold calling local businesses to try and source the big items (eg dentists chair!).  The project also fulfils Service learning in the CP.  

CP BTEC - Visit to Kona Bike Shop

The CP BTEC Business Class visited the Kona bike shop in Segny, France to discuss with the owner, Liam what it takes to manage a successful small business.

The students were able to learn about the key interpersonal skills and business related knowledge needed to run a bike shop.  They also learned about the complexities of French tax and charges as well as the technical training needed to be a top-notch bike mechanic!  Liam was knowledgeable and gave lots of practical hints and tips on how to be successful in business and the problems he had to overcome setting up a shop in France.

The knowledge gained will be used to explore the skills needed for the students to start their own small businesses in January - Watch this space!