Career ready? Capsim Challenge winners can prove it!

Graduate ‘career readiness’ is a major aspiration for employers, educators and students – and thanks to the Capsim Challenge, 26 business students now have evidence to prove they’re ready to get straight to work!

The Challenge, open to all students who recently completed Capstone or Foundation Business Simulation, attracted 3,000 entrants from around the globe. Each team or individual pitted their business skills against students from 18 countries, all running multi-million-dollar businesses over eight simulated years in ten days. The 26 finalists faced off in an intense, 30-hour fight for supremacy last weekend.

Kent Sheffield, Morris Fordham and Marilynn Dawson from Webster University (Capstone^® Business Simulation Challenge), and Brian York from Illinois State University (Foundation^® Business Simulation), took top honors in the Challenge.

Capsim Managing Director Reda Chafai said performance in a business simulation demonstrates many of the competencies for ‘career readiness’ defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. “Number one is critical thinking and problem solving,” he said, “or how students use knowledge, facts and data to analyze issues, make decisions and overcome problems. This is the essence of the business simulation experience.”

Professor John Jinker of Webster University, who taught the Capstone winning team, said: “Capsim forces students to view industry interaction as a series of opportunities and constraints across all functional areas and in all markets.” Professor Jinker encourages his students to take the Capsim challenge for two reasons: “first, it’s important for students to be able to demonstrate their business knowledge. This platform allows them to do just that. Second is the opportunity to have a significant milestone on their resume.”

Professor Larry Chasteen, who taught a finalist in the Foundation Challenge, says once they’ve completed the simulation, students “have seen the ‘big’ picture, which makes them better employees.”

Challenge entrants came from countries including Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, Israel, Russia, Thailand and the UAE. Winners enter the Capsim Challenge Hall of Fame and receive a $400 American Express voucher for a dinner or victory party.

For full results see below:

Finalist results for Capsim’s Spring 2016 Capstone^® Challenge:

Finalist results for Capsim’s Spring 2016 Foundation^® Challenge: