• Howick and Pakuranga Times
AWARD WINNERS: LunchMate directors Nick Bird, Gina Morrissey, Chuck Slogrove, Joseph Payne and Sarah Blyde with their teacher Tony Maguire, Mayor Len Brown and Anita Keestra, the Young Enterprise Scheme's regional co-ordinator. Photo supplied. TWO schools have been awarded the highest accolade in this year’s Counties Manukau Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES).
Macleans College in Bucklands Beach and Auckland Seventh-Day Adventist High School in Mangere have both scooped the outstanding regional company of the year award.
More than 500 students and 78 student companies took part in the scheme, which is the biggest in New Zealand.
Programme co-ordinator Anita Keestra says: “Our young people are the business leaders of the future, so it’s critical to ensure they are able to realise their full potential.
“If, by providing business-like opportunities to all young people – irrespective of their circumstances – and we make business a valid career choice, then we are doing something that’s positive.”
YES students establish their own companies, create products or services, implement marketing plans, earn money, pay taxes and keep profits – all in the real world.
The team from Macleans College set up LunchMate, which provides an online service for use by students and parents wishing to pre-order food from school tuck-shops.
As well as sharing the top award, the students also won the financial management and excellence in business management award.
LunchMate managing director, Chuck Slogrove, says: “This scheme has opened up an array of opportunities, not only for our business but also the people within it.”
Auckland Seventh-Day Adventist High School’s company Phatso developed the Homework Station Application, which utilises social networking to help parents, students and teachers connect to achieve greater academic success.
Phatso and LunchMate will be representing Counties Manukau at the national awards in Wellington this Wednesday.
