Young Enterprise Scheme hits new highs at Rolleston College

_{ConvertA Cleat, James Ballinger, Tobias Delahunty, Oliver Hill, Restige Hale Mangar, Chase Stanley and Declan.}

Rolleston College’s Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) which is administered locally by Ara Institute of Canterbury is on the up, with strong forecast growth and some serious contenders for the regional title.

Nationwide, over 5000 students are competing with over 500 of those in Canterbury. The top five teams from each region will compete in the regional finals on October 30th.

The school’s YES teacher Brendan Lambert says the growth in the programme is huge, with numbers forecast to triple next year across Years 12 and 13.

“Working with YES as a business teacher is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Their programme enables students to push their boundaries in terms of product innovation, marketing, selling opportunities and consultation with mentors & industry experts. YES, is real world learning that has the potential to change students' lives.”

One of the top teams from Rolleston College is ConvertA Cleat who have designed a golf cleat that can be attached to any shoe with a robust sole to ensure grip on the greens. The idea came from the team’s passion for golf. Printing the cleats locally with a 3D-printer and sourcing screws from overseas, the team have risen to the challenge of growing a business with high margins and high production costs.

Their drive was to create a product for newcomers to what is the country’s most-played sport.

“A lot of teenagers and younger people are starting to get into the sport, which is how we targeted it, to people who want a cheaper alternative to buying brand new golf shoes but instead who want their trendy shoes on the golf course to look the part, that was our approach,” says the group’s CEO, James Ballinger.

He said YES helped their ideas take flight.

“We’ve learnt from the ground up, we’ve been studying business through high school from day one, but this is the only class where you get to do real business. And if it takes off, we want to keep this running after high school.

“It’s been good, getting to do a business and YES keeps you accountable, we’re all competitive so we want to do well in the competition, there’s lots in between that pushes you to do well.” says Chase Stanley, another one of the team members.

ConvertA Cleat is one of four Canterbury teams invited to head to the Innovation Expo on September 26 and 27 which will be another chance for them to showcase their innovation.

Lucy Dunnlogan (@dynamicdancephotography) is another Rolleston success story, winning best business pitch for Canterbury in the early rounds of the competition.

She says her business photographing dancers has set her up for her future.

“I don’t think I would have been able to do it on my own without the support of YES and it gave me the confidence to start. I always wanted to do it, but this was the start I needed.”

_{Lucy Dunnlogan in her element snapping photos for TM Dance World}

Another group, Tuhi Tiles (@tuhitles), has created wooden tiles with the Māori alphabet on them that people can order as home decor. Their focus was incorporating Māori culture in whatever they made, “We googled different ideas, and this got us to decor, we have realised this could be a great educational tool for kids, and a good way to promote te reo Māori in the community.” says student Rylie Long.

_{Some of the tiles made to order from Tuhi Tiles}

Provision of the YES scheme locally is growing and innovating too.

For the first time ever, the top ten teams from around the country are being invited to Christchurch’s innovation hub, EPIC, to hear from top innovation experts from around Canterbury at a new event called Touchdown on October 18.

Henry Cadillac, EPIC’s Innovation Coordinator says they were keen to get involved as the event aligned with the center's aims to inspire young kiwis, expand their skills and pursue careers in entrepreneurship.

The Southern finals for YES will be held at Ara in October with the national competition wrapping up in December.