TEENAGERS at Churchfields Academy had a glimpse at the world of business when they took part in a Dragons’ Den workshop run by Intel.

Preena Mistry and Anthony Moglione from the Swindon-based IT hardware company led an all-day workshop for Year 10 students yesterday, where they learned how to haggle with suppliers and compete with their peers to sell on 100,000 laptop and desktop computers.

Although it was a simulation, students had to speak with real adults based in the industry and in different parts of the world who volunteered to take part in the workshop.

They also had to handle last minute crises like company bankruptcies before delivering a final pitch at the end of the day.

Preena, an IT project manager at Intel, said: “We’ve been working with Churchfields for a while and it’s just a unique way to give them a taste of what the real business world is like.

“They have to consider real business costs and negotiate with suppliers.”

The exercise provided a unique way of learning about business and challenged the students’ maths, diplomacy and communication skills, as well as their ability to pitch.

Richard Miller, 15, was one of the youngsters taking part.

He said: “It’s quite fun, we have to work in a team and speak to suppliers and work out the shipping costs. It’s not really something we’ve done before and it’s good experience.”