A team from Ballakermeen High School was among the top 200 student entrepreneurs in the 2009 JA-YE Europe Company of the Year competition.
The event, which took place from 2nd to 5th July, was hosted by Young Enterprise Netherlands in the World Trade Centre in Rotterdam, European Youth Capital 2009.
The Ballakermeen team, named Element, had earned their place at the event when they won the JA Isle of Man Company of the Year award with their Teacher Top Traits, a spin-off of the Top Trumps card game.
Team members Niamh Doherty, Michael Goddard, Sasha Preskey Josh Evans and Hannah Verschueren joined student companies from 32 European countries, winners of their national competitions, to showcase their product in front of an audience of some 400 people.
Chris Gledhill, managing director of PDMS, sponsors of the JA Isle of Man Company of the Year award and trophy, was among those who travelled with the group to Rotterdam.
He said ‘Although Element didn’t win an award, being in Rotterdam among around 180 other students who took part in the event, and the fact that some 226,000 students took part in the company programme, demonstrated to the team the sheer size and scale of the JA-YE Europe operation.
‘Rotterdam set great store in hosting the event, staging the presentations in the Luxor Theatre on the Friday evening and the grand finale at the World Trade Centre on the Saturday evening.
'And the competition was tied in with the city’s celebration of youth and culture, with top quality entertainment, so the whole event was seen as being of international significance.
‘For all of us from the Isle of Man, our time spent in Rotterdam among the other competing nations was not only exciting, but also a lesson, seeing how many of the student companies, many born out of idealism and sheer enthusiasm, are destined to become real businesses, thanks to the rigorous framework provided by the JA company programme.
'For my part, I came away enthused with ideas about how PDMS might apply some of the ideas we’d witnessed.
'The whole event had a real “wow” factor and it was clear the Isle of Man was held in high regard, a nation willing to embrace change.’
Student company Touch of Green from Estonia won the JA-YE Europe Company of the Year competition with their CO2 neutralising plantation service.
Speaking at the event JA-YE Europe CEO Caroline Jenner said ‘These young entrepreneurs will contribute significantly to Europe’s economy in the future – we applaud them for all for their achievements so far.’
Pictured: Element team members Niamh Doherty, Michael Goddard, Sasha Preskey, Josh Evans and Hannah Verschueren with Ballakermeen High School teachers Andrew Merrick and Stephen Darron (third and second right respectively).
