Sixth form students from Drayton Manor High School in Hanwell have taken part in a competition that aims to show students opportunities in the City by completing The Profit Hunt, an investment competition run by Artemis Investment Management in conjunction with Arrival Education.
According to the organisers: “the competition introduces sixth form students from low-income communities to the world of investing, opening their eyes to a potential career in finance.”
The 12 teams, each consisting of five students supported by two Artemis mentors, invested a hypothetical £5m into five listed companies. Over a six-month period the students and their mentors trade the stocks and the team which grows their portfolio the highest is the winner.
The programme, now in its fifth year says it has supported 294 students of which 42% were female.
This year’s winning team was Brampton Manor Academy in Newham, who grew their portfolio 16.1% over the six-month period while runners-up were Alperton Community School in Brent. The winning team receives a week’s work experience later in the year at Artemis.
Nick Shenton, programme founder and a partner at Artemis commented: “The winning team produced a return which was much better than the overall stock market over that period, which is some achievement, and they should be very proud. However, the most important part of the competition is not how much money each team made or lost, but the opportunity they have to develop an understanding of investing and to learn from our colleagues. The students also developed their skills in communication and working in a team environment. We hope they really enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to see how a job in finance offers a stimulating and exciting career.”
Iryna Krupnyk, programmes manager at Arrival commented: “Over the last five years it has been wonderful to see so many young people learn new skills, develop confidence in their own abilities and potential, and grow their professional support networks. We are grateful to Artemis for providing such a supportive and welcoming environment to the students. The impact of this programme is truly transformational for the students, who would otherwise not have access to companies like Artemis.”
