Students from North Hertfordshire College spent the day with leading business and financial advisory firm, Grant Thornton UK LLP, after collecting their prize for winning a national competition.

The contest, set by the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy and Grant Thornton, challenged students from across the country to devise an awareness campaign that would revolutionise the perception of apprenticeships.

The victorious group fought off competition from 15 other college teams to be crowned national winners. The team, made up of five students between the ages of 16-19 years, was congratulated by senior members of the Grant Thornton team and asked to present back their winning research findings.

During the course of the day, students were able to meet a number of people from across Grant Thornton, take part in a question and answer session with senior partners and were also given coaching and mentoring from Grant Thornton to help them to prepare for their futures, as they near the end of their course with the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy.

Founded by entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star, Peter Jones, the academy delivers courses in business and enterprise that give young people the skills and confidence needed to turn their ambitions into reality.

Grant Thornton is one of the key delivery partners of the Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship in Innovation and Growth that was launched earlier this year with Matthew Hancock MP, Minister for Skills and Peter Jones himself.

Alice Barnard, chief executive, Peter Jones Foundation said: “We are extremely proud of the team at North Hertfordshire College who have emerged as winners of this challenge by showing the entrepreneurial traits we nurture at the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy.

“Through initiatives like the Grant Thornton Challenge, we are able to help students to apply the skills and experience gained through the course to real-life business experiences.”