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About us

Get inspired!

JT Founder Marc’s investment career began at an early age when he famously used his school pay-phone to buy and sell shares.

After university, he worked his way up on city dealing floors, becoming a Director of an Investment Bank specialising in the Retail Sector. He later launched and floated his own investment management plc with over £1bn client assets under management in the UK and Guernsey.

Marc has acted as broker to Tesco, Walmart, and other major retailers. He worked the new hedge-fund trading desk at Kleinwort, turning over $100m/day, before launching several innovative funds in the Channel Islands and becoming one of the youngest AiM CEO’s to IPO.

Through this competition, Marc’s aim is to improve the diversity of finance applicants, helping unlock doors into the City for as many students as possible in lieu of rare work experience placements.

We can come to your school or meet on one of our City of London or Manchester walking tours

Where possible the initial lecture and Q&A is conducted at your school. Schools in the north west or south-east are also encouraged to book the City of London or Manchester Walking Lecture Tour, which takes students on an outdoor adventure through the City and provides a foundation of knowledge prior to the JT competition.

Deep dive into analysis

The second lecture is delivered online and helps students gain an understanding of the valuation processes prior to the competition starting.

Team work

As well as selecting their trades, in order to complete the competition, students must (as a team) submit a written self reflective trading report.

The Competition
  • Session 1: The programme kicks off with a fast-paced introduction to graduate roles in the City, followed by a simulation of equities research and trading. Students form teams and compete in a stock-picking challenge.
  • Session 2: A deeper dive into “What Moves a Share Price” builds participants’ analytical skills, helping them construct a balanced portfolio of retail investments informed by real-world economic conditions.
  • Final Task: Each team submits a written report explaining their investment choices. Completion of this task earns students a Certificate of Attendance (and the DofE Skill recognition if applicable).

What does it cost?

The cost for a school entry is available on request- subsidised places may be available.

The cost of an individual entering Junior Trader is £75, or a team of 2-4 students is £150 , however bursaries are available which can reduce the cost to £0 if the candidate(s) can demonstrate commitment, add diversity to finance, and cannot afford the entry cost.

“

An opportunity for students to understand the stock market - it was wonderful to see so many students participating and working together

Head of 6th Form
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Helped improve my teamwork, communication and time management skills and gave me a taste of how unpredictable stock markets can be

Student
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Always great to have happy and enthusiastic students in the building

Managing Director, Investment Bank
“

The closest thing they could get to real life sector experience, extremely valuable!

Economics A Level Teacher
“

I know more about what a career in finance is like - hearing real experiences in the sector was really insightful!

Participant
“

The experience was incredibly informative and inspiring

Deputy Head
“

It was wonderful to have them in the office. What an enthusiastic and engaged bunch! They will all do so well.

Head of Research, Investment Bank
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Every single one of our Economics Students put Junior Trader on their UCAS Applications last year

Head of 6th Form, Girls Grammar School
“

Having been involved in JT since the 6th Form Trading Competition, I've also interned with the organisation. Their personal and genuine approach for developing young talent is unmatched.

Helena, UCLIntern

FAQ’s

 

Junior Trader is a not-for-profit careers education organisation founded and led by former equities trader Marc Duschenes. Drawing on nearly 30 years' experience in financial markets - as a professional trader, founder of a listed fund management business and careers educator -Marc established Junior Trader in 2008 to give young people an insight into an industry that is often difficult to access.

Today, Junior Trader helps students develop commercial awareness, analytical thinking and professional judgement through competitions, online programmes, mentoring and financial lecture tours. Rather than teaching students how to speculate on markets, the programme focuses on the skills employers value: critical thinking, ethics, governance, communication and informed decision-making.

Our programmes are designed primarily for students aged 15- 24, including GCSE, Sixth Form and university students, together with young people considering careers in finance, economics, business, consulting, law and other professional services.

No. Many students are studying Economics, Business or related subjects, but this is by no means essential. Junior Trader welcomes students from a wide range of academic backgrounds, including Mathematics, Sciences, Humanities and Languages.

We recognise that not everyone has access to industry contacts or financial knowledge at home. That's why the programme begins with our Jargon Buster, which explains the language and terminology commonly used in financial and professional services. By breaking down these barriers at the outset, students can approach the rest of the programme with confidence, regardless of their previous experience.

No. Junior Trader does not encourage young people to trade live financial markets.

While technology has made investing and share dealing more accessible than ever, we believe it has also become too easy for young people to begin trading before they fully understand the risks involved. Our focus is on developing the knowledge and judgement that should come before investing.

Through our TradeSafe initiative, we encourage students to build strong foundations in commercial awareness, ethics, corporate governance, risk management and analytical thinking before considering live investing. Our aim is to help young people become informed, responsible decision-makers—not simply teach them how to buy and sell shares.

Junior Trader is designed to prepare students for careers across financial and professional services, including investment banking, asset management, consulting, corporate finance, accounting and insurance.

More importantly, the programme develops the commercial awareness, professional judgement and analytical thinking that employers increasingly expect from applicants. Through real-world case studies, current business issues and practical assignments, students learn how to discuss topics such as corporate governance, business ethics, executive decision-making and market events with confidence.

These are the kinds of examples, opinions and commercial insights that regularly arise in university, apprenticeship and graduate interviews, helping students stand out beyond their academic qualifications.

Held each year over the Christmas and New Year period, the Junior Trader Annual Competition challenges students to analyse a real listed company before presenting an investment recommendation to a panel of experienced finance professionals.

The competition is open to both school teams and individual entrants, allowing students from partner schools and independent applicants to compete on equal terms.

Unlike many investment competitions, success is not determined by predicting the share price. Students are assessed on the quality of their research, commercial awareness, understanding of corporate governance and ethics, the strength of their analysis and their ability to defend their conclusions under questioning.

One of the competition's most popular features is the opportunity to "Beat the Founder" and "Beat AI". Alongside the student entries, Junior Trader founder Marc Duschenes produces his own investment report based on the same company, while ChatGPT is also set exactly the same challenge. Students can compare their work against both an experienced market professional and artificial intelligence to see how their own thinking measures up.

No. Teams build and manage a portfolio of investments rather than simply selecting a single share. While the performance of the portfolio forms part of the competition, it is only one aspect of the assessment.

Equal, if not greater, emphasis is placed on the quality of the written investment report, the research undertaken, the rationale behind each investment decision, teamwork, and the ability to explain and defend conclusions during the presentation and question-and-answer session.

The competition rewards disciplined thinking and well-reasoned decision-making, not simply choosing the best-performing shares.

The competition is open to a wide range of entrants. Schools can enter one or more teams, allowing students to compete with classmates or across year groups. Individuals who are not part of a participating school are also welcome to enter, as are youth organisations, university societies and other organised groups.

Whether you are entering as part of a team or independently, all participants receive the same challenge and are judged against the same assessment criteria.

Interested in Junior Trader?