SCHOOL pupils from across Gwent will battle it out for top honours in the Newport and Monmouthshire Young Enterprise finals next week.

The event is the culmination of six months of hard work for 250 sixth form students, who have been busy running their own companies.

Business leaders are being invited to attend the event at the University of South Wales Newport’s city campus on Monday, March 23.

The pupils and their businesses will be judged on short company presentations given on the day, the quality of their trade stands and a final company report which are all presented by the students in front of an audience of prominent business leaders and eminent academics.

The judging panel includes Liz Maher, director of Centurion VAT Specialists, Gareth Morgan, director of Liberty Marketing, Lewis Lewis director of Evento by Viaggio UK and Howard Thompson, of regional manager at the Centre for Business.

The winners of this part of the competition will go forward to compete in the Young Enterprise Wales Final in June.

Newport and Monmouthshire Board chair Kath Lewis, of Newport-based IAC Ltd, said: “We must encourage enterprise and entrepreneurship in our schools and colleges to achieve future business success in Wales. There is no doubt that some of Wales’ business brains of the future will be competing against each other in the Newport and Monmouthshire Young Enterprise final next week.”

For details on how to attend the Newport finals event call 01633 293008 or email klewis@iac-ltd.co.uk