Business students from Newham Sixth Form College pitched their ideas to four major manufacturers in Germany as part of a project to give them international marketing experience.

The European Business Project, run by the Plaistow college, is in its ninth year and is a partnership with German vocational training school, the Berufliche Schule Korbach und Bad Arolson (BSK). Through the initiative, students gain experience in forming an international marketing team and working together to research the market on behalf of a client company.

The NewVIc students travelled to Germany to pitch to the managers of German manufacturing organisations.

The companies working with the project this year were ALMO (launching a new enteral syringe), HEWI (launching a new sensory soap dispenser), WEIDEMANN (launching a new Hoftrac tractor) and Wilke (launching a new halal salami snack).

All the companies were impressed by the high quality of work that the students had put into their research and presentations of findings, and are now looking forward to the next run of the project.

Following a successful presentation evening and completion of the project, students were given awards in categories including participation and excellent team spirit, most improved performance and extra effort in personal presentation.

Jack Knowlden, one of the students who took part in the proejct, said: “The European Business Project enabled us to put into practice the theory we had been taught in the classroom. The project also broadened our horizon by giving us the opportunity to work with people from other cultures in order to achieve a business objective. The life and business experience we have gained has not only enriched us but enabled us to develop skills which will be invaluable when we apply for similar roles in the corporate world.”

NewVIc’s European Business Project provides a unique way for students to develop their skills in enterprise, teamwork, strategy, marketing and communication, whilst also providing insight and experience of the world of international business.