Three Trades Academy teams made a successful sales pitch at the HB Farmer’s Markets.vThree Trades Academy teams made a successful sales pitch at the HB Farmer’s Markets.

Three Trades Academy teams made a successful sales pitch at the HB Farmer’s Markets.

EIT has been supporting the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) since its inception in Hawke’s Bay. YES is a national initiative to inspire young people to discover their potential in business. This year 80 teams across Hawke’s Bay participated in YES. EIT staff mentored a number of teams and also provided judges for the different heats in the competition.

Anna Renton-Green, project manager in the Schools of Computing and Business says, “EIT is committed to ongoing support for the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme. Not only is it a great way for young people to explore business and innovation in an authentic context, the entrepreneurial and ‘soft’ skills they develop set them up for success beyond school.”

This year 24 teams from different Hawke’s Bay schools received $200 each in funding from EIT to get their businesses started. EIT hosted various training sessions throughout the year attended by a large number of local high school students as well as EIT’s own Trades Academy Business Enterprise students.

Some of these teams recently presented their products at the Napier and Hastings Farmer’s Markets. Pitching their products to the market goers gave students the opportunity to enhance their customer service and selling skills. The teams had developed some innovative products, from toothpaste drops, coffee skin scrubs and eco-friendly straws to bird houses, children’s books and back support braces.

Three EIT Trades Academy teams received great feedback about the potential of their products and will complete YES: the Filter Straw Company, Foodnetic (a vegan granola) and Timata Taniwha, who created an app to increase the use of te reo Māori.

Senior business lecturer Rebecca Clarke who assisted the students says, “Students who were unsure of ‘business’ at the start of the year have fully engaged, leading them to an appreciation and love of learning business that they had not previously thought would eventuate. They have surprised themselves.”