Business-savvy students from Brynteg School beat off competition for a third consecutive year to win the South Wales heat of ICAEW’s national business and accounting competition, BASE, on Thursday 3 March 2016.
The team from Bridgend impressed the judges and will go on to represent South Wales at the national final which takes place at in Birmingham in June. This was one of 49 heats attracting over 3,000 students around the country.
BASE links schools, students and employers to develop employability skills and provide an insight into what a career in accountancy, business and finance might be like. Assuming the role of ICAEW Chartered Accountants, the students had two hours to analyse a business situation, before presenting their ideas to a panel of top business professionals.
Martin Warren, ICAEW Director for Wales, said: “We were really impressed with the team’s performance and shrewd thinking. These budding business advisers looked beyond the numbers; they also showed they had an excellent instinct for business and ethics in order to give well-rounded advice. I expect I’ll be seeing more of these young people in leading roles in the future.”
Head Judge, Mark Tweed, CFO of GMAC UK/GM Financial said: “We are pleased to have been able to support the ICAEW BASE competition. It is a great platform for students to develop an understanding of the ACA qualification and to start thinking about their career aspirations. The BASE South Wales heat saw students deliver an incredibly high standard of business acumen, strategic thinking and presentation skills. All of the students should be very proud of their performance and I really sensed that they learnt a great deal from the day. My congratulations go to Brynteg School and I wish them the very best of luck in the finals.”
The BASE competition was supported by local organisations including BDO LLP, Deloitte, GMAC UK/GM Financial, KPMG LLP, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the Royal Voluntary Service, who provided professional mentors, judges and exhibitors. The venue was sponsored by Cardiff University and was held in the impressive “beaux-arts” style of Glamorgan Building.
For further information about BASE and how to participate please visit icaew.com/base
