Oracle Rewards Young Talent in JA-YE’s European Challenge

The competition for the best business website is part of JA-YE’s European Challenge; a series of technology-based learning activities to teach students entrepreneurship and business skills. Slovak team DIFFID received first prize for the Best Business Website Award (www.diffid.gta.sk), beating 25 other candidates across Europe. DIFFID was chosen from a panel of Oracle employees who were judging the websites in seven different languages. As part of the judging, Oracle employees met with the teams at the JA-YE European Trade Fair to question the students. Launching the competition in partnership with JA-YE, Oracle aims to raise awareness among students of the fundamental role technology plays in business, and to recognise and celebrate young talent.

The European Challenge introduces students to business technology, while helping them develop innovative, problem-solving and entrepreneurial skills. The European Challenge is being featured at the JA-YE European Trade Fair, which has brought together more than 400 students with their secondary school student companies to showcase their products and services.

Oracle is sponsoring the JA-Titan Award in addition to the Best Business Website Award. The JA-Titan online business simulation competition attracts over 3000 students across Europe every year and invites them to form teams and compete online in a high-tech virtual industry. Over a series of rounds, the teams make decisions on selling price, production level, marketing and capital investment and research and development, and each team is awarded points for their company’s market share and earnings. The last 8 teams met face-to-face in Bucharest for the final round. The finals were followed by a ‘friendly TITAN contest’ where Oracle employees competed along with the students.

A team of two students from Lithuania were crowned champions of the JA-TITAN Contest.

“We partnered with Oracle on this project to engage students in a unique way and to take advantage of the expertise that Oracle adds to the competition,” said Caroline Jenner, CEO, JA-YE. “All of our projects are designed to have a high educational impact, and to help students explore their full potential. Designing a business website focuses the students on deciding what their business will be, how they will showcase that business to prospective clients, and how technology is a key part of any successful business.”

“We’re keen to educate students about the tools available, providing them with the knowledge and skills to appreciate the role technology plays in business today,” said Stephane Rousset, VP Business Operations, Oracle EMEA. “We became involved with JA-YE’s European Challenge as part of Oracle’s commitment to corporate citizenship. It’s about inspiring students to connect, be creative and share their ideas. Not everything can be taught in the classroom. It’s up to business to get on board and educate schools and young people about the skills required for business.”

List of winner and runners-up of the Best Website Competition
The Winner was DIFFID from Slovakia (www.diffid.gta.sk)
1st Runner-up was “Cushion” from Switzerland (www.cushionbags.com)
2nd Runner-up was InteRel Augsburg from Germany
(www.interel-augsburg.de)