12 students selected for FedEx Trade Challenge

For Immediate Release

Top 12 students selected for FedEx International Trade Challenge Workshop

International Enterprise in Action weekend brings together 80 next-generation global traders

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, June 23, 2009 – Fortified milk products and energy drinks, tracking devices on iPhones, solar-powered water purifiers, and software to track the origins of meat were just some of the recession-busting ideas generated by 80 future exporters from 60 schools around New Zealand in a pressure-cooker weekend at Massey University.

This morning, Young Enterprise Trust and FedEx Express announced the 12 who will go on to the FedEx Weekend Workshop in Auckland on July 18 and 19. From this, a final six will be selected to represent New Zealand at the FedEx International Trade Challenge in Singapore in August, alongside six other Asia Pacific countries, and their 36 representatives.

The students are: Danica Burghout Queen Margaret College, Wellington, Aimee Groom - Taradale High School, Taradale, Napier, Jessica Field - Havelock North High School, Havelock North, Timothy O'Brien - Massey High School, Northland, Auckland, Paul Minors - Rangitoto College, Auckland, Chuck Slogrove - McLeans College, Howick, Auckland, Talman Madson - Long Bay College, North Shore, Auckland, Michael Turner - Kaikorai Valley College, Dunedin, Anna McDonald - Southland Girls High, Invercargill, Jessica Tierny - Rangiora High School, Christchurch, Thomas Scott - St Thomas of Canterbury College, Christchurch, Victoria Clark - Christchurch Girls High School, Christchurch, Dean Kingi - Otametea High School, Maungaturoto, Northland.

They were selected by votes from FedEx Express mentors, staff from Young Enterprise Trust, Corporate hosts of the ten student teams and the students themselves. Donna Dentice, CEO of Young Enterprise Trust said these 12 students were unanimously agreed by all those voting as the most deserving of selection.

FedEx Express Country Manager New Zealand & Pacific Islands, Mathew Koshy, was one of the three judges who received presentations from all ten teams and said the high standard of innovation and content of each presentation showed exceptional talent emerging through the next generation of entrepreneurs.

“Of the product ideas the teams developed, 80% were based on new products. The calibre of the students and their presentations this year was exceptionally high, so much so that when it came to selecting the final students to go on to the FedEx Workshop, we decided to select 12 rather than 10.”

“The key thing all 80 students need to remember is that the business world they aspire to operate in will be a markedly different and more difficult economic environment than that of their predecessors. Finding cashflow to fund their various initiatives will be one of the biggest challenges they face.”

As passport applications were passed out to the 12 after the announcement, the group’s discussion was focused on the excitement of regrouping in a few weeks to do it all again at the FedEx Weekend Workshop, where the students will develop a uniquely New Zealand product and prepare to market it to the world. They will be mentored by experts from various disciplines, in preparation for the week-long competition in Singapore, where their product will be further refined before being presented to the international panel of judges.

This is the first time New Zealand has had a team in the FedEx International Trade Challenge, which was launched in 2007 between FedEx Express and Junior Achievement Worldwide to educate and inspire young people to understand how entrepreneurship can improve the quality of their lives and communities.

It now attracts 3000 students each year from some of the world’s biggest export markets, Australia, Hong Kong, Korea Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

ENDS

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