News
We will celebrate the many impressive, innovative and creative achievements of our Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme students, on Thursday, 27 October at Southern Institute of Technology, Invercargill.
At the start of 2016, 138 students from James Hargest College, Aparima College, Mt Aspiring College, Southland Boys High School and Southland Girls’ High School formed 35 businesses, which they subsequently developed through-out the year.
Chami Abeysinghe SIT Marketing Manager presenting Sweeten Up Your Day Company Directors Kaleb Lamb, Tyla Lonneker and Sarayha MacDonald from Aparima College. Winners of Southland Region of The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme Photo: supplied
The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme is a business programme developed for schools to deliver at years 12 and 13. Students work through the process of setting up their business, developing a new product or service, preparing a business plan, raising start-up capital, getting their idea to the marketplace, and running their business. “Business is all about competition however, students participating in the Young Enterprise Scheme gain much more; personal growth, confidence and assertiveness are a few qualities as well as persistence and perseverance” Southland Co-ordinator, Mrs Joanne O’Connor said.
This year’s Southland Lion Foundation Young Enterprise of the Year is Sweeten Up Your Day from Aparima College with second place going to Make Time, Mount Aspiring College and third place to Its Just Me, Southland Girls’ High School.
Sweeten Up Your Day company mission is “to improve our society and the lives of all the young people by raising their awareness of bullying and giving them the tools to combat and reduce bullying” with their key message “Pulling someone down won’t help you reach the top.”
To raise awareness they sell ribbons. 100% of the company’s profits go to the Mental Health Foundation to assist with anti-bullying and activities. Along their journey they won a national BullyingfreeNZ award.
Sweeten Up Your Day will represent Southland at the National Awards in Wellington on the 6 December 2016 and will compete for the national title of Lion Foundation Young Enterprise of the Year.
Other Regional Excellence Awards and Competition winners were:
- Young Entrepreneur Scholar of the Year sponsored by Invercargill Licensing Trust – Chaydon Te Muunu, Southland Girls’ High School
- Award for Enterpriser of the Year sponsored by Community Trust of Southland – Jy-sharna Wells-Phillipson, Southland Girls’ High School
- Best Stand at Trade Fair sponsored by Craigs Design & Print – The Cookie Jar, James Hargest College
- Best Annual Review sponsored by Southern Group Training Trust – Make Time, Mount Aspiring College
- Award for Innovation sponsored by Otago Southland Employers’ Association – Dr Dry, Mount Aspiring College
- Award for Sales and Marketing sponsored by Westpac – To be confirmed
- Company Excellence Award (Operations) sponsored by Crowe Horwath – Clearwater Cordial, Mount Aspiring College
- High Growth Potential Award sponsored by South Port NZ Limited – To be confirmed