Benefits to students and schools: -

Investment Challenge 100 will provide students with activity and experience that will develop many attributes associated with enterprise education and key stage 4 work-related learning.

They will be working in teams dealing with investments under which they will have to predict outcomes from research and analysis of businesses and the influence of external economic, social and political factors. By doing so they will become aware of the risks involved and the benefits of spreading these to minimise loss and increase the likelihood of longer term gain. As a team they will have to weigh up options and reach a consensus decision about what to buy and sell.

Overall students will be exposed to: -

• Planning
• Risk/uncertainty
• Decision-taking
• Learning about investment
• Research and analysis
• Impact of external factors on business
• Organisation/operational skills
• Leadership
• Self-motivation
• Pragmatism/judgement
• Action-orientation
• Perseverance/Determination
• Competition
• Communication
• Numeracy
• ICT
• Financial capability

Enterprise education:-

From September 2005 the DfES awarded schools an annual grant to develop enterprise education amongst year 10 students. Schools and colleges will be expected to set up courses and project work that will expose these students to at least 5 days of education focused on business enterprise.

The Investment Challenge 100 will contribute towards these targets.