Young traders in Carmarthenshire will be able to take part in a competition in Ammanford later this month.

The highly anticipated Carmarthenshire Junior Traders Competition 2024, following a successful event at Llanelli Town Centre last year, is being expanded to include school teams from Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford.

Participants are set for a real trading experience, with the ambition of nurturing future entrepreneurs. Each school will send out a team to operate a stall for one day, wherein they will be trading to test their business acumen. The teams have been granted £150, funded by benefactors, to use for purchasing items to vend on their stalls.

Not only will the participants gain valuable practical insight into running a business, but will also learn essential business tactics, including buying at trade cost, buying at a discount and negotiating prices. Importantly, the competition will be held adjacent to the markets in each town, offering the young traders a taste of the real commercial world.

The Carmarthenshire Junior Traders Competition 2024 is scheduled for May 15 at Carmarthen Town Centre, May 16 at Llanelli Town Centre, and finally on May 17 in Ammanford Town Centre.

Each participating team has the freedom to decide which product or service they'll trade and they are encouraged to plan from the basics like procuring the products or materials, to the details like branding and stall presentation.

The winner of the competition will be determined by the amount of earnings garnered from their single day of trading. The best-decorated stall will also receive recognition from the judges.

Cllr Ann Davies, Carmarthenshire County Council's cabinet member for rural affairs, community cohesion and planning policy said: "It’s wonderful to see the annual Carmarthenshire Junior Traders Competition being extended this year, as this competition is a great introduction for our young people to the world of business.

"By providing them with a presence at our town markets, we also hope to instil in them the value of a local economy to society."

The competing students are urged to strive for the utmost creativity and uniqueness in their trading ideas, while locals are encouraged to come and show their support.

The annual Carmarthenshire Junior Traders Competition is in line with Carmarthenshire County Council's aim to provide youngsters with the best possible start in life.