After two days of intense competition, a national winner has been selected from 112 participating colleges to become Armenia’s third Youth Entrepreneurship Award winners. More than 250 students submitted a business focussed essay, and the top 50 were invited to the National Camp to undertake a team task.  The final 10 teams had only one day to come up with, and present, a winning idea for a new telecommunications service package.  The winning team proposed to provide pensioners with fast and cheap internet and telephone connections to their houses. Those who committed to Beeline services for 12 months would get a discounted rate during the first and last months, as well as additional medical services.

The task was set by the Award business partner, ArmenTel, a leading telecommunication company in Armenia with their Beeline brand. Armentel has developed a strong relationship with the British Council Skills for Employability project in Armenia.  The partnership is a great example of how employers can work with education providers to bring the workplace into the classroom – and help young people develop the skills and knowledge they need to find the right career and play a part in their employer’s success.

Igor Klimko, general director of ArmenTel, describes the competition as ‘a perfect model of corporate social responsibility, which is a high priority for Beeline. In building a dialogue between business and education, we are supporting Armenian youth to develop their entrepreneurial skills. Moreover, students are becoming more competitive and getting better prepared for tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities.’

We’ve captured the excitement of the event in our video: