NSSEC: Creating Young Entrepreneurs

The simulation will be used in the National Secondary School Entrepreneurship Competition (NSSE C) which aims at giving students from form four to form six, the practical skills and knowledge needed to create a successful business.

Gary Lewis, a representative from Innovative Learning Solutions Inc,(the company which developed it, said, “Marketplace Live is an online business simulation designed to teach children how a business is run.

We want students to be able to practice before they go into the real world where money and jobs are involved. They need the necessary practice, while they develop both their skills and knowledge about business simultaneously.” He was speaking at NSSE C’s Teachers’ Training session on September 12. Marketplace Live offers student users a gradual introduction to the content and an easy interface through video-enriched storylines while fostering teamwork.

The program also has a built-in chat facility for groups of students to communicate while they create and manage their own virtual business in the computer industry over six quarters.

In his remarks, Christian Stone, the co-founder of More Vino Ltd, who was also instrumental in NSSE C, described the process of creating the competition as astonishing because of the amount of support his team had been receiving.

He said over 60 schools signed up, with over 300 students and five sponsors and partners signed on to NSSE C.

The competition will bring together secondary schools throughout TT to compete in a dynamic entrepreneurship- simulation game.

The gaming experience aims to equip students with essential practical skills and experience to foster their critical-thinking abilities in the domain of entrepreneurship and give them the confidence to make strategic decisions that will help in the development of their future business ventures.

Stone said, “The role of teachers is to guide students throughout the course of the onlineprogramme as they (students) learn to connect theoretical concepts to practical experiences, while encouraging innovation and critical thinking.” He spoke at the Yara Auditorium, Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business (UWI-Lok Jack GSB) in St Augustine.

Marketplace Live can be accessed by students and teachers while using any digital device with an internet connection.

The UWI-Lok Jack GSB as part of NSSE C will also offer $1 million in scholarship prizes for the top 15 students from NSSE C to pursue the new undergraduate programme to be offered by the Graduate School for the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business, starting in September 2018.