Carmarthenshire Junior Traders Competition 2024: Empowering Young Entrepreneurs

The Carmarthenshire Junior Traders Competition 2024 was a resounding success, marking a milestone in fostering entrepreneurial spirit among the county's youth. Following the triumph of last year's event in Llanelli Town Centre, Carmarthenshire Markets extended the competition to include Carmarthen and Ammanford, providing school teams with a unique opportunity to experience market trading firsthand.

The competition, held on May 15, 16, and 17 in the vibrant town centres, showcased the creativity and entrepreneurial skills of young participants. Each school team received £150.00, generously funded by local sponsors, to invest in materials or products for their stalls. With the support of teachers and mentors, students delved into the complexities of entrepreneurship, mastering skills such as sourcing products at wholesale prices, negotiating deals, and refining their presentation abilities.

Students were judged on their ability to generate revenue and the presentation of their stalls. Trophies and winners' certificates were presented to the standout performers, celebrating both financial success and creative flair. Schools received recognition for their efforts, with total sales exceeding £4500, contributing to future projects and initiatives within the community.

In Llanelli, Ysgol Dewi Sant earned the title of the best-presented stall with an impressive score of 104 out of 108 points. Ysgol Penygaer, on the other hand, achieved the highest overall profit from sales, securing the top spot.

At the Carmarthen event, Ysgol Y Dderwen was recognised for having the best-presented stall, while Ysgol Burry Port won for their outstanding financial performance.

In Ammanford, Ysgol y Bedol showcased commendable entrepreneurship, selling out before the event concluded, making them worthy winners.

These outstanding achievements underscore the talent, innovation, and dedication of the young participants, reflecting the success of the Carmarthenshire Junior Traders Competition in nurturing future business leaders.

The success of the competition was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Carmarthenshire County Council, Llanelli Town Council, and Llanelli Community Partnership, with generous support from Ymlaen Llanelli, Carmarthen BID Company, Llanelli Chamber of Trade, Carmarthen Chamber of Trade, Llanelli Town Council, Carmarthen Town Council, and Foothold Cymru.

Reflecting on the event, participating schools expressed appreciation for the opportunity to engage in a real-world business venture, designing, producing, and selling products of their own creation. The overwhelmingly positive feedback underscores the value of initiatives like the Carmarthenshire Junior Traders Competition in nurturing the entrepreneurial mindset among young people.

Participants Celyn and Afa-Hâf said:

In my opinion, we learnt several new skills throughout the project, such as teamwork, patience, perseverance, counting money and working within a budget, numeracy, communication, research and problem solving.  I believe the most important skills that I’ve developed by doing this project were teamwork and patience because these skills will help us in our day to day lives and during any other projects that we take part in in the future." 

Participant, Rosina said:

This project was a very fun experience, and I would like to take part in a similar project again.  I enjoyed making the candles which developed my knowledge of candle making and how to keep safe when using hot liquids." – Rosina