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Nestlé UK welcomes York's brightest young business hopefuls

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Nestlé UK

Nestlé opened its doors to 20 York students on Wednesday as part of York Business Week and Global Entrepreneurship Week. The 14-18 year olds from across the city were there to compete in the final of the Nestlé ‘Chocolate Box Challenge’ business game and to understand more about careers at the world’s biggest food company.

Over the last month, students from 10 schools in the city have been taking part in the Chocolate Box Challenge run by NYBEP, an apprentice-style challenge to create a new brand of boxed chocolates. The top five teams, from All Saints, Archbishop Holgate’s, Joseph Rowntree’s, Huntington and York High School, today had the chance to present their business plans to Nestlé’s Boxed Chocolates marketing teams, in a bid to win an iPod Shuffle.

As part of the day, students also had the chance to go behind the scenes at Nestlé York HQ, with a tour of the Kit Kat plant, a chance to make their own confectionery in the Nestlé’s development kitchens and a chance to hear from Nestlé’s latest apprentice and graduate recruits. 

Participant Dan Nickson part of the winning team Ladel, aged 17, from Archbishop Holgate’s School said: 


“The challenge was amazing, I really enjoyed being the Project Manager for my team and I learnt that I enjoy taking on a managerial role. Until now, I never considered a career in the food industry but I’d love to continue working in marketing.”

The Chocolate Box Challenge is part of Nestlé’s wider programme of training and schools engagement. The Nestlé Academy offers flexible entry points to attract people at different stages of their life and seeks to provide varied career development routes through the organisation.  Since it launched last November Nestlé has doubled its number of apprentices and graduates joining the company. Building on the success of the Academy, Nestlé’s Academy in the Community programme aims to use the company’s coaching and training expertise to help young people in its communities bridge the gap between education and employment.

Nestlé and NYBEP have delivered the Chocolate Box Challenge as part of York Business Week. The Week aims to increase awareness of York as a place for business creation, growth and sustainability. It is the most successful event of its type in the UK, with 7,000 people expected to participate in 2012.

Nestlé UK and Ireland Group HR Director, Matt Stripe said:  “As one of the biggest employers in York, it is vital that we are engaged with our local schools to help introduce students to the world of business and inspire them as they are starting to make career choices. Our employees have really enjoyed going into local schools to help deliver the Chocolate Box Challenge and have been very impressed with the creative spark and business flair displayed by the students.

“We are hoping that all the students involved will take away some important lessons in terms of teamwork, confidence and problem solving, which will help them in the workplace, whatever career path they choose.”

For further information please contact: 

Nestlé UK press office on 0208 667 6005 [email protected]

Notes to Editors:

Nestlé UK

Nestlé UK has approximately 7,000 employees across 19 sites and comprises: Nestlé UK (Food & Beverage, Confectionery and Food Services), Nestlé Ireland, Nestlé Purina Petcare, Nestlé Waters,  Nestlé Nutrition, Jenny Craig, Nespresso, Cereal Partners UK (a joint venture with General Mills) and Lactalis-Nestlé Chilled Dairy (a joint venture with Lactalis). 

In the UK, the company manufactures some of Nestlé’s most popular and iconic brands, including KIT KAT® (the UK’s No 1 selling biscuit), QUALITY STREET®, NESCAFÉ®, SHREDDED WHEAT®, BUXTON®, NESTLÉ® PURE LIFE® water, SKI® yoghurt and BAKERS and FELIX® petfood. 

NYBEP

NYBEP is a leading education business partnership – a company limited by guarantee operating as a not-for-profit social enterprise.  Our vision is to nurture talent for successful futures.  We bring together schools, colleges, higher education and employers, working regionally and nationally from our base in York. 
We develop, nurture and grow the talent of young people through our quality assured learning programmes, the support we provide to the delivery of work-related learning and the effective engagement of employers in education.

As a holder of the Award for Education Business Excellence, we pride ourselves on tailoring programmes to match employers’ aims and interests to learning opportunities in the education sector, with real outcomes and benefits for young people and for the wider community.