A team of sixth form students from Castle Rushen High School have returned from Oslo after competing against 33 other nations for the title of JA-YE (Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise) Student Company of the Year. The team, Cahoots, won Junior Achievement Isle of Man Company of the Year held in March, qualifying them to compete in the international final hosted by JA-YE Norway. With their slogan ‘don’t lend it, vend it’, the students - Grace Costain, Katie Gilson, Ruby Callister, Sarah Reeday, Katie Danes and Ruby Callister - introduced a stationery vending machine into their school after research showed that at one time or another 89 per cent of students go to school without the necessary equipment to carry out their lessons. Junior Achievement's chief executive Sue Cook said: ‘Cahoots have worked extremely hard and I was privileged to be able to watch them during the competition. I felt extremely proud to be part of their journey and they have demonstrated what young people can achieve if given the encouragement to flourish.’ She went on to say: ‘I am extremely grateful to everyone who has supported Cahoots in their venture including Judith Craine, volunteer business mentor from Taxman, Jason Moorhouse, link teacher from Castle Rushen High School, local companies Swagelok, Signrite, Shoprite and PDMS, the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Economic Development.’ The team who won the overall competition came from the UK. Their product was a perfume pen which is a dual-function perfume dispenser. Other products included a combined toothbrush and toothpaste holder developed by a student company from Slovakia, a range of sports bags recycled from sails made by the team in Sweden and a reusable tap bottle developed by the team from Portugal. The team from the Isle of Man did not come away empty handed. During the competition a team of judges identified 15 students they felt had the potential to become future leaders and awarded Katie Danes a coveted place on a leadership conference to be held in Munich next year. The Junior Achievement company programme is acknowledged worldwide as the leader in entrepreneurial education for young people. Research conducted in Europe has shown that more than 15 per cent of young people in the programme go on to open their own business compared to the national average of six per cent. This academic year Junior Achievement ran 150 classes in 18 schools, reaching more than 4,000 young people. Each year Junior Achievement needs to raise ?300,000. If you would like to become a volunteer business mentor or help raise funds, contact chief executive Sue Cook by e-mailing suecook@jaiom.im or calling 666266. ENDS