The SKILL! Programme concluded in December, with the final session in our five-workshop schedule. Our 15th workshop since launching in 2008, the December workshop took the total number of students reached to 1,000. The December session, hosted by international law firm Simmons & Simmons, was attended by 60 students. They collaborated in teams, supported by mentors from our corporate partners, to create enterprising ideas that solved problems they encountered in their communities. Students also engaged in training around key communication and presentation skills, to help them pitch their ideas later in the session.
Our speakers included facilitators Matt Kepple and Katie Ledger, with keynote speaker Justin Champney, the founder and CEO of online brand-creating tool buildabrand.com. Students were also given the opportunity to present ideas to a panel including:
- Nick Giles – Co-founder, Seven Hills Group
- Monica Ma – Partner, Simmons & Simmons
- Matthew Rock – Co-founder, Caspian Media
Students were inspired by Justin Champney’s story of starting buildabrand.com, an exciting startup that is changing the face of brand design for businesses large and small. Justin shared the story of starting buildabrand in 2008, following a successful career in advertising, detailing the highs and lows of creating an idea and raising money to make it happen.
The 2012 SKILL! Programme will be commencing in March, with the first of five workshops in London. If your school would like to be involved, please contact us at info@skill-london.com or call us on 0845 050 6266.