On Tuesday 10th July, The National Careers Challenge in partnership with NatWest Thrive held
its 12th Grand Finals at Doncaster Racecourse.
There may have been torrential downpours throughout the day, but this did not dampen the spirits of our competitors and we were thrilled to welcome over a thousand students, teachers and business guests to our biggest finals event since 2020!We can always rely on our competing schools to raise the bar each year and as always, we were blown away by the dedication demonstrated by all of the competing students. From students in fancy dress, to impressive prototypes and mascots, the entrance to Doncaster Racecourse was awash with so much excitement and creativity … true testament to the hard work that goes into the schools preparing for the annual finals.
In addition to teams from schools all over the UK, we welcomed 30 students from SKT Education & Beyond in China who were also competing after completing the NatWest Thrive “Start Local, Think Global” challenge. The morning was filled with students pitching to our morning judges in the Executive Boxes overlooking the racecourse, who went on to shortlist the top 2 pitches for each challenge. It was a tough task this year as the standard was excellent and each team had gone to so much effort with their pitches to make them stand out from the crowd!
We were delighted to welcome representatives from our challenge sponsors, NatWest and Air Products, who have sponsored our Year 7 and 9 challenges and JCB and Atkins Réalis as sponsors for our Year 8 and 10 challenges respectively who made up our afternoon judging panel. Investor and founder of Helpbnk Simon Squibb and internationally renowned entrepreneur Dom McGregor were announced as our 2024 ambassadors and also joined our afternoon panel.
Nicola Barrett, Regional Director, NatWest North Region said “I had the privilege of attending The National Career Challenge Grand Finals, and I must say, I am proud to have been involved. The event was truly amazing, showcasing the entrepreneurial spirit of the young participants. I was blown away by the inspiration, energy, focus and commitment of the young people. It was incredible to see how the event instilled confidence in them, encouraged a growth and curious mindset. The team spirit among the participants was remarkable, and their bold communication skills coupled with creative thinking were impressive. But most importantly, the event served as a powerful source of inspiration for all the young attendees. It motivated them to chase their dreams and showed them the endless possibilities and potential career paths available. It was a reminder of the incredible potential within each young individual and the difference they will make to society. Attending The National Careers Challenge Grand Finals was a truly enriching experience. It highlighted the importance of nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in young people and providing them with the support and guidance to pursue their dreams“.
Lynn Willacy, Community & STEM Ambassador, UK and Ireland at Air Products said “Air Products is very proud to help ‘Inspire the next generation’ by sponsoring The National Careers Challenge again this year. All the finalists who submitted their ideas for the Air Products STEM challenge, which focuses on sustainability and hydrogen for mobility, were of such a high standard that our judges found it very hard to choose the overall winner. The range of different and innovative ideas submitted by the students definitely shows that they will be our scientists and engineers of the future. Well done to Walton Priory Middle School who were crowned the overall winners!”
Dan Heffernan, Strategic Social Value Lead at AtkinsRéalis said, “AtkinsRéalis takes immense pride in being ongoing supporters of The National Careers Challenge. This remarkable programme breathes life into our commitment to nurture future generations and empower them to create a legacy for themselves and those around them. Amidst economic uncertainty, workforce shortages, and heightened competition for talent, we recognise the urgency of shaping a workforce fit for the future. The TNCC finalists left our judges awe-struck with their ‘School of the Future’ concepts, and every participating student should be immensely proud. Knowing that this pipeline of talent awaits us on the horizon fills us with encouragement, and we look forward to collaborating with a new cohort of future engineers next year.”
A firm TILG favourite and supporter, TikTok magician Ben Hanlin acted as our host wowing our audience with his incredible magic tricks and even performed a card trick with a budding young magician from our audience. Mike Woodhams, semi finalist from Britain’s Got Talent entertained our audience whilst our afternoon judging panel made their decisions.
A huge congratulations to the following schools who will join our TNCC Hall of Fame:
Year 7 – “Team Walton Wasps” from Walton Priory Middle School
Year 8 – “Team Water Walkers” from Christ Church Academy
Year 9 – “Team Classy Climate” from Acklam Grange School
Year 10 – “Team Centurion Academy” from West Kirby Grammar School
International Champions – “Team Wagging Wanderers” from SKT Education & Beyond
