Students at Burton and South Derbyshire College have been developing their business skills by taking part in a national competition designed to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs.

More than 70 business, IT, and travel and tourism students from the college entered the National Skills Challenge run by Staffordshire University in partnership with NatWest bank.

The competition challenges students from schools and colleges across the country to come up with their own business idea using the resources available to them in their learning environment.

The group will go through to the second round of the national competition

Students worked together in teams to create business plans and then present their ideas at the end of the day in a Dragons' Den-style TV show pitch.

The challenge stems from the project brief from NatWest that young entrepreneurs need more tailored support and the opportunity to learn from real business experience. The initiative gives students the opportunity to take part in real life challenges to equip them with the skills they need for the world of work.

The two winning groups on the day were ‘Dream Potential’, a skin care company focusing on natural products and ‘Mind Your Own Business’, a company designed to use partnerships with local sports organisations and restaurants to encourage young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

The winning teams will now go on to represent the college at the regional finals to be held at Staffordshire University in March, from which the best will represent the region at the national finals to be held at the Natwest headquarters in London on April 24.

The winners of the first round of the National Skills Challenge at Burton and South Derbyshire College

Catherine Lalley, curriculum team leader at Burton and South Derbyshire College said: "Taking part in the National Skills Challenge is an exciting way for students to develop both entrepreneurial and leadership skills.

"Students worked well together to create some extremely innovative ideas and develop marketing strategies for them, two of which will now be presented at the regional finals. Activities like this are a great way for students to put their knowledge into practice and gain the skills they need for successful careers in their chosen industry."