Around 80 rangatahi are taking part in a three-day business challenge that kicked of today at Terenga Paraoa Marae in Whangarei.
The He Kai Kei Aku Ringa Rangatahi Business Challenge, run by Young Enterprise, involves year 10 and 11 students and is designed to be a fun and interactive event.
Young Enterprise spokesperson Natania Katene says the programme will introduce Māori youth to business, help them develop real-world skills and connect them with local Māori entrepreneurs.
“It’ll help to open their opportunities and open to their eyes to see anything is possible.”
Katene hopes the event will get help get the tamariki thinking about what careers they might want to pursue, the subjects they’d like to choose at school and their overall dreams for the future.
He Kai Kei Aku Ringa Rangatahi Business Challenge at Terenga Paraoa Marae. Source: Natania Katene
“That’s what I love about the challenge is that we’re hearing from the tamariki what they’re actually passionate about and what they think a solution could be to a problem and realising that they can actually make it happen, that there’s actually amazing people out there using their talents and their skills to really make a difference for their whānau, for their community and highlighting that to them, that they can do it and that we believe in them.”
The first event of its kind was held in June at Owhata Marare in Rotorua with more than thirty years 10 and 11 rangatahi attending from schools around the region.
Later this year the challenge will travel to Whanganui, Whakatane and Hamilton to mentor rangatahi there.