GEORGE TOWN: THE winners of the Young Enterprise (YE) Programme Penang 2013 received their prizes at an awards presentation ceremony at Dewan Tunku Syed Putra in Universiti Sains Malaysia here, recently.
The programme, which marks its silver jubilee this year, saw the participation of 15 secondary schools in the state.
The biggest winner was SMJK Union, which won the YE Challenge Trophy for Best Managed Company. The students were given nine months to come up with a business plan to market their products in a business simulation exercise.
SMJK Phor Tay and SMK (P) Methodist topped other hopefuls to clinch the Best Product and Best Annual Report Awards, respectively.
SMJK Phor Tay Form Three students, Chan Ei Won and Eng Shu Wei, both 15, counted themselves lucky to win as the competition was keen.
The team’s award-winning handicraft was displayed at a booth and drew many curious visitors.
Chan credited their achievement to the teamwork of 24 students, especially Saw Hui Ling, whose idea it was to use recycled products to make handicraft.
“We used discarded items like plastic strips, rubber hoses, ribbons as well as leftover fabric to make baskets and hair bands.
“We took turns, sacrificing our leisure time on weekdays, to complete the products in six months,” she said.
Meanwhile, the SMJK Sacred Heart team, which was second runner-up in the Best Managed Company category, attributed their success to their sponsor, Motorola, which supplied the materials, and teacher-adviser Lim Gin Hwa, who provided the guidance.
Chong Yen Sze and Melissa Teo May Ming, both 15, were glad to show visitors their products in the form of painted tote bags, sewn book covers and mementos in commemoration of the YE silver jubilee.
YE programme Penang area chairman S.K. Liew and YE Penang first area chairman Gary Lundquist presented the prizes to the students.
Also present were American Malaysia Chamber of Commerce northern region administrator Datuk Tang Hon Yin.
The YE programme was introduced by the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce in 1989 to enable Form Three and Four students to create and manage their own companies with the sponsorship of multi-national corporations.
Thirty-two schools in Penang and the Klang Valley took part this year.
More than 16,000 students have participated in the programme since its inception.
