STUDENTS in Winchester have won a competition that saw them go head-to-head in a contest similar to TV’s Apprentice.

Two second-year teams from the University of Winchester, studying for a BA in business management, took part in the Nielsen Business Case Competition in Oxford which involved them trying to solve a real-life business issue.

The winning team - Abi Jones, Hannah Jannaway and Miriam Eklund Ramos - competed against their fellow students to present a solution for creating a competitive advantage to a panel of expert judges.

Anca Yallop, mentor to the teams and senior lecturer in marketing at the University, said: “The competition offered our students the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice and to showcase their skills in developing insights to drive business.

“The judges commented that the presentation by the winning team stood out as being original, engaging and having a compelling story; but I am extremely proud of both teams who have shown a great deal of commitment over the past few weeks.”

The teams from Winchester contended against two teams from the University of Northampton and two from the University of Surrey.

One of the winners, Miriam, said: “Winning this competition has been of huge benefit as I am applying for placement year opportunities and this demonstrates that I have contributed to marketing a real-life issue for an international business.

“It also helped develop my presentation skills as we received useful feedback on how to keep improving.”

The winning team will go onto represent the University of Winchester and the UK in the international competition which takes place between June 24-26 in Athens.