About the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES)
YES is a well established programme that runs throughout Aotearoa, their vision is to:

“Inspire the next generation of business leaders, disruptors, and changemakers, helping to create a generation of business savvy and financially competent Kiwis.” 

The programme is aimed at year 12 and 13 students (16 - 19 year olds), and can sit alongside NCEA Business Studies or as an extracurricular activity. It runs throughout the academic year, from February to October, and is based around four challenges that run over three school terms:

• Validation
• The Pitch
• Promotion & Sales
• Annual Review 

For a better understanding of how this all works, check out the short (less than four minutes) video YES in a nutshell - with Liz Pittman.

YES in the Bay of Plenty  

A few weeks ago we sat down with Manaia Peina - Stand Tall’s Regional Programme Coordinator of YES. 

Manaia has first hand experience of YES herself, having participated in the programme when she was in the final year of school. Her team created Sustaina Bag -  a vegan tote bag that could fit a laptop. Each bag was bespoke as you could personalise the lining with something significant to user, she gave the example of a bag her mum bought that had one of Manaia’s childhood pillow cases in the lining. During the project they employed a qualified seamstress to make the bags. After they had paid for materials and labor, each of the team members made $500 each - not a bad profit!

There are nine local schools taking part in this year's programme, they include schools from Tauranga, Papamoa, Kawerau, Rotorua and Whakatāne. Manaia says the main focus of the programme is to experience the creation of a business from nothing, she does admit that the chance for students to make money while learning can also be a big motivator for them. 

At the beginning of the year Stand Tall hosted all the students who were interested in taking part in YES at Kickstart Timatanga. It offered an opportunity for students, teachers, coaches and mentors to understand what YES is, how it’s run, and the desired outcomes of the programme. This year's event was run in the Cargo Shed down on the Waterfront in Tauranga. 

Term one focuses on validation - this is where the students test the idea they’ve come up with, they are encouraged to do this through talking to their target audience, completing surveys and getting as much feedback as possible. This is also an opportunity for them to pivot and adapt their ideas based on the feedback they receive. 

At the end of the term students hand in a validation report, this is reviewed by Manaia and points are given to teams. Most students doing YES as part of their Business Studies option can get NCEA credits by doing YES.

The focus for the next term is their pitch, not as scary as Dragon’s Den, but the students still need to present their idea to a panel of professionals. This has been hosted at Basestation for the last few years as part of our continued commitment to support future entrepreneurs. The students are given access to our larger meeting rooms and event space so the students can be in a professional setting when presenting their ideas. The panel of judges involved in this are all volunteers and local professionals. 

The next stage will see the students focus on selling and marketing their goods or services. Stand Tall works with local stakeholders and opportunities such as Canvas and YOUth Fest -  to provide a marketplace for teams selling  products. 

 In their final term students produce an annual review (like a financial report) with a summary and retrospective on how the year went. 

Students are under no obligation to wrap up their business once they have finished YES. There’s a former YES student in Whangārei who’s in their early 20s and now employs two others in the business he originally set up through the YES programme! 

As most entrepreneurs know - you need some capital behind you to kick things off. Stand Tall works hard with the wider community to source seed funds and micro grants to ensure all teams have an equal chance at getting going. This includes working with stakeholders such as Tauranga City Council and Inspiring Stories.  Stand Tall strongly believes that there should not be a financial barrier for the rangatahi taking part in the programme. 

There is an upfront cost of $45 for each student taking part in the YES programme.

Manaia's role throughout the programme is to support and encourage students taking part, as well as organising all related events. She is also the liaison between the YES programme and teachers whose students are taking part.

A highlight for Manaia is building a rapport with the students and watching them grow, overcoming challenges and thriving. She is acutely aware of the ‘real life’ experience the YES programme delivers. Students develop skills in planning, communication, collaboration, marketing, resilience and adaptability (to name a few!)  This experience sets them up with strong practical and transferable skills they can use for life after school. 

If you would like to more or you’re keen to get involved and help mentor students or help with funding, please reach out to the Stand Tall team. Likewise, if you are a teacher or have a teen and would like to know how they can sign up, get in touch pascale@standtall.nz or manaia@standtall.nz.