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‘Hyundai Skills for the Future Award’ winners head to JA Asia-Pacific business awards in Korea

Young British entrepreneurs SoberDrive, who won the Hyundai Skills for the Future Award in 2015, will be at the Asia Pacific Junior Achievement (JA) Company of the Year Competition in Seoul, Korea on February 21-24.

SoberDrive was started as part of the Skills for the Future programme in Cirencester, where the team was able to pitch their product idea of a breathalyser incorporated within a car key to Hyundai head office and develop a prototype. They competed in and won the European Skills for the Future Competition in May 2015, run by JA Europe in partnership with Hyundai Motor Europe.

Three members of the team; Lauren Palmer, Callum Coles and Samuel Roberts will travel with their teacher Hannah Clark and Hyundai UK Mentor Vicenzo Scognamiglio to Seoul, the first time a team from JA Europe has been present at the Asia Pacific competition.

Callum Coles, SoberDrive, said: “We are extremely excited by the prospect of attending the Asia Pacific Final at the end of the month, it is an incredible opportunity for us to build on our previous experiences with the Skills for the Future programme and further develop our ability as young entrepreneurs. Having already grown substantially through the first competition, we are honoured to have this opportunity to showcase our evolution as a business and cannot wait to learn what valuable skills we will gain this time around in South Korea.”

Thomas A. Schmid, Chief Operating Officer at Hyundai Motor Europe, said, “We are committed to supporting Europe’s youth with career and skills development opportunities, and our Skills for the Future programme provides a platform for the next generation of business talents. The young entrepreneurs of SoberDrive have shown that our engagement paves the way for innovation and brilliant inventions. They truly deserve the great honour to be present at the Asia Pacific JA Company of the Year Competition in Seoul.”

“I can’t think of a better learning experience for young people than to expose them to other cultures and ways of working.  Thanks to Hyundai Motor Europe, and Skills for the Future, these young Europeans will not only see Korea, but they will also meet with peers from all over Asia. It’s about fostering the skills and attitudes they will need in the future and adding another dimension to their understanding of the global economy.” – Caroline Jenner, CEO for JA Europe.

The Asia Pacific JA Company of the Year Competition is JA Worldwide’s annual celebration of the achievements of JA Company Programme students in the region.