UNBC Business students hope to bring home gold in annual competition

UNBC Business students are heading to Edmonton, Alberta this weekend to compete in the JDC West 2017.

The premise of the competition is to, as a team, work together to resolve situations in specific disciplines, including finance, entrepreneurship, and international business.

Last year, the team of 48 students took home three First Place trophies and one Second Place finish, and they’re hoping to repeat as champions.

“Our business strategy team has got some really experienced people on their team, so they’re hoping to really build on that,” says Terrance Badham, co-captain of the UNBC Wolfpack JDC West team and a fourth-year business student (pictured left).

“All of our teams have a really good shot, so we’ll see who comes out on top in the end, but the key is that we’re really just trying to build on what we did last year.”

While he as a co-captain can’t compete in the tournament, Badham says the goal of the team is to apply their knowledge and skills as a team to real-life issues in the workplace, whether it be in finances, in management, and even in human relations.

SOOOO CLOSE! We're 1 hour away from Edmonton, but with all of the cheering you can probably hear us coming #jdcwest2017

— UNBC JDC WEST (@UNBCJDCW) January 13, 2017

He adds the contest will have a long-lasting impact on a competitor’s resume.

“The students are developing analytical skills and solving problems for real life businesses. It’s a good way for students to see how what they learned in classes and in school translates into the actual workplace.”

Badham says the students selected to compete at the University of Alberta have been preparing for 15 hours a week on top of school.

“The key is really just time management. A lot of us go to school full-time and we still have jobs to help pay the bills, so it’s really just making sure that you’re organized, fitting in, and being willing to have a busy life.”

They’re competing against 11 other universities in Western Canada, including their biggest, but also friendliest rival, the UBC Sauder School of Business.