Before Christmas, our first-year Business and Economics A Level students took part in the International Trading simulation introduced by American Express. Here students were grouped into countries with varying amounts of resources depending on the country’s stage of economic development. Students were to then produce output to trade and grow GDP for their economy. Across both games, we had all students engaged and enthusiastic, with all showing strong negotiating, communication and teamworking skills.
Introduced as a work-related learning project by Katie Baker, Partnership Manager at American Express, she commented “I must say, I was thoroughly impressed by the level of soft skills they demonstrated throughout the activity. Their performance not only showcased their subject knowledge but also highlighted their readiness for the real world. Overall, the International Trade Scenario not only enriched their understanding of economic concepts but also fostered the development of vital employability skills. These skills, such as teamwork, negotiation, critical thinking, and ethical considerations, are essential for success in the ever-evolving global landscape.”
Economics student, Yassin Ben Caid commented “It was worthwhile because it allowed me to understand how trading can change and how demand changes and how I should adapt to these changes. It also was worthwhile as the experience was fun and allowed me to communicate better as a team and negotiate with others.” Ruben Donoghue added “It was very worthwhile as it developed my understanding of world trade by putting myself in a trading situation, also it developed my ability to work with other people on and off of my team.” Importantly, Business student Megan Bishop appraised the experience by saying “It allowed us to experience what we are learning in class and put it into ‘real life’ situations. It helped me develop the confidence to work with my team and debate choices that I thought weren’t going to benefit us.”
Ben Whittingham, subject lead for Business and Economics continued, “The students absolutely loved this experience as they were able to develop key employability skills ranging from negotiation to communication and problem solving in a fun environment that encouraged their personalities to shine through. Having all of our Business and Economics A Level students in one room to simulate international trade in action is central to our ethos of learning in context.“
