Tuesday, November 20, 2007 Student groups vie for best biz plan
AROUND 20 groups from Cebu schools and universities are vying for the honor of having come up with the best business plan and product design in this week’s Pasigarbo sa Dakbayan sa Sugbo.
Intended to hone the artistic skills of local designers, the competition encourages entrepreneurship among the students who will be asked to set up a legitimate business later on using the plan they came up with.
Councilor Eduardo Rama said the schools were told to organize groups of 10 business management students each for the competition. At least six universities are joining.
Rama said each school have at most five groups as semi-finalists, whose works will be judged when the City holds a trade fair, which will showcase “pride-of-Cebu products.”
Rama heads the council committee on labor, employment, livelihood, manpower development and placement.
The project is led by the City’s Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council (SMEDC).
Aside from the City Government’s Department of Manpower Development and Placement, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Cebu Jaycees are helping the City with the project.
Rama said the SMEDC is promoting self-entrepreneurship “for additional source of income of our constituents,” and tapping graduating business students is a start.
The City noted that “local designers are scarce” because enticed by better opportunities, they seek their fortunes abroad.
“It is high time to conduct a contest for the best product design among college students from various schools, colleges, and universities in Cebu,” Rama said.
Eagerness
Schools showed eagerness in measuring the skills of their students against those from other universities.
The University of Cebu, University of San Carlos, University of San Jose-Recoletos, Southwestern University, University of the Visayas, and Saint Theresa’s College are joining the contest.
Rama said the product design and business plan are school projects the students should make, and they urged the schools to have their students submit their outputs.
“Wala pa ta kahibalo kung pila, pero sigurado nga naay cash prizes kay nigasto man sad sa ilang produkto ang mga estudyante (I have no idea how much but I’m sure there will be cash prizes because the students spent for their products),” he added.
Businessmen will serve as judges in the competition.
The trade fair runs from Nov. 23 to 25 at the SM Trade Hall 2 and 3. (RHM)
