Berkshire schools take on Stock Market Challenge – University of Reading
11 July 2005
School pupils from across Berkshire will get a taste of Wall Street when the Stock Market Challenge comes to the ISMA Centre on Tuesday 12 July. Now in its second year, the Stock Market Challenge is a work-related learning activity which uses the experience of a live trading floor to introduce young people to finance, investments, further education possibilities and career options. The event is being sponsored and co-organised by Aimhigher Berkshire, which helps young people from Berkshire to think about the education options open to them and to aspire to Higher Education. This exciting financial learning event is being hosted by the ISMA Centre, the business school for the financial markets. Competing teams will learn how to trade in company stocks and foreign exchange, just like real-life brokers do every day on trading floors and on-line all over the world. Each team of five pupils will have £35,000 to invest during five virtual days of trading, condensed into two hours. The team with the highest portfolio at the closing bell wins £400 for their school, a trophy and individual prizes. As well as giving young people an insight into the world of finance, the activity forms part of pupils' wider business and careers education. In addition to developing key skills in areas such as teamwork and communication, the activity is designed to introduce pupils both to the world of work and to the opportunities available them in higher education. Tim Hughes, Marketing Manager for the ISMA Centre, said: "Stock Market Challenge provides a unique opportunity for pupils to learn how to work as a team, make decisions under pressure, take calculated risks and experience the excitement of the trading floor. The event is action-packed and great fun for the pupils." Jon Bramley, Operations Manager of Aimhigher Berkshire said: "Stock Market Challenge will give our Year 10 pupils a valuable insight into how one of our most important business sectors works and its significance to the economy as a whole. For pupils looking to enter the job market or going into further and higher education in the next few years this event will be a priceless experience." Further information can be obtained from Cause Direct Events on 01225 484 721 or causedirect@btconnect.com. End CONTACTS Liam & Martin Barnes, Cause Direct Events: 01225 484 721 Leanne Ley, The ISMA Centre: 0118 931 6496 Jon Bramley, Aimhigher Berkshire: 0118 931 8881 Notes for editors Stock Market Challenge: additional information Stock Market Challenge, which takes place inside the ISMA Centre at The University of Reading, will be an impressive visual spectacle. The event is a unique opportunity to capture on film/camera local pupils being stock market traders for a day. The event starts at 9.30 am and finishes at 2.15pm. The event recreates the theatre and atmosphere of a live trading floor as it would have been experienced by brokers in stock exchanges all over the country before share trading was computerised. Teams buy and sell shares in imaginary companies throughout a 'virtual' week in the life of a stock market compressed into two hours. As players are bombarded with information from TV and radio news reports, and teams compete to build the winning portfolio, the pressure around the trading pit creates a fast-moving and exciting event. Participating schools Blessed Hugh Farringdon School (3 teams) Highdown School (2) Ryeish Green School (1) Altwood School (2) Churchmeade School (2) Westgate School (2) Wexham School (2) Bayliss Court School (1) Brakenhale School (2) Garth Hill College (1) The ISMA Centre The ISMA Centre, at The University of Reading, is one of the largest providers of specialised finance education in Europe. It was created in 1991 through a donation from the International Securities Market Association (ISMA), Zurich. The purpose-designed building, opened in 1998, houses two dealing rooms with Reuters 3000, Moneyline Telerate and Bloomberg data feeds. These dealing rooms are used in applied learning sessions as part of the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Aimhigher Berkshire Aimhigher: Berkshire brings together the schools, colleges and universities in Berkshire. We help young people from Berkshire to think about the education options open to them and to aspire to Higher Education. Aimhigher: Berkshire has a number of activities throughout the year aimed at giving young people a chance to experience what university is like. The activities include visits to universities, residential and non-residential events at universities and colleges and other events within schools. Cause Direct Events Stock Market Challenge is produced by Cause Direct Events. The company specialises in the management of events which help develop partnerships between education and business.