Josh Bardsley, originally from Oxford, is the owner of two successful businesses: Avalanche Marketing, an innovative marketing company focusing on relationship marketing through Social Media, and Groves Bardsley Limited, a company based around the property sector, currently with a control/ownership portfolio of over £1.5m.

Josh said: “I think I was one of four chosen to represent the UK in the GSEA region event in Berlin because of my drive.  I am extremely focused on creating something vast and I want to spend my career investing in, and building companies.

“I love what I do, and I think this will come across to the judges.  I want them to see that I will do everything it takes to make the UK the winning country in this competition.

Josh will join a selection of the best student entrepreneurs from across Europe at the GSEA European region event in Berlin on 10-11 March this year to compete for the national title and go on to represent the UK in the GSEA global finals in May in Bangkok, Thailand.

He said: “It would be incredible to represent the UK. The contacts and relationships I would build spending a week with top entrepreneurs from each country in the world would be incredible. And going on to win the final in Bangkok would put me in the realms of being one of the top student entrepreneurs in the world.”

During his studies, Josh spent a year as an intern at the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership (IfEL) based within the Research, Engagement and Innovation Services (REIS) at Swansea University which works with students and graduates to help them start-up and run their own companies.  Dave Bolton is the Enterprise Manager at IfEL.  Of Josh’s success, he said: “Josh has shown tenacity and entrepreneurial flair supported by his internship with IfEL which has enabled him to combine his studies with setting up, and running a successful business that is now employing people. It is testament to the support available to students of Swansea University by both the Swansea Employability Academy and IfEL”

Josh said: “My work with IfEL opened me up to other like-minded entrepreneurs in the University. It has offered me some insane opportunities to meet business leaders and build relationships with movers and shakers in the right industries for me. It really shows that if you are passionate about something, the University and IfEL will help as much as they can!”

Professor Hilary Lappin-Scott, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Swansea Universitywho established Swansea University’s Employability Academy said: “It takes a huge amount of drive and determination to start up and run a business whilst studying for a degree and Josh’s success this far in the GSEA is testament to this, and extremely well-deserved.

“Josh’s flair for entrepreneurship was honed during his internship with the IfEL which is closely engaged with the Swansea Employability Academy. Through the Academy, we support students every step of the way, fostering skill and ambition throughprofessional careers advice and managing a range of placement schemes, ensuring students are equipped for graduating into a satisfying career on completion of their degrees; and the statistics speak for themselves: 94.8% of our graduates are in further study within six months of graduating and 81.4% of our students get professional level jobs.

“Josh’s early career experience will stand him in excellent stead for the future, and I wish him the best of luck as he progresses through the GSEA competition.”

For more information about the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, visit: http://www.gsea.org/