Hawkes Bay students take on Latin America

Four Hawkes Bay students have been selected for one of three overseas business field-trips to Latin America later this year.

Kaysie Cornes, Anna van den Hout, Rahiri Makuini Edwards-Hammond and Jemima Peck were chosen from the 80 students participating in the Entrepreneurs In Action (EIA) event in Wellington from 29 June-1 July. They are from a group of twenty-four talented young entrepreneurs selected, who will be travelling to Chile, Brazil, or Colombia later this year.

EIA participants were chosen from the 3800+ participants in The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme programme that spans the entire school year. Of those 3800+, 246 applied to compete in this weekend with only the top 80 students being selected from across New Zealand. Six of those 80 were Hawke’s Bay YES students.

Over the weekend teams competed in two back-to-back challenges relating to product innovation and market entry strategy. Members of the winning team for each challenge won a $3000 scholarship to Massey University, and the winning team of the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Challenge on Day 2 were awarded the trip to Brazil in December. Winners of the trips to Chile (October) and Colombia (January) were chosen individually and were selected based on their performance over the weekend, and a supplementary video application.

The first trip will see 8 students travel to Chile, one of New Zealand’s longest standing and closest relationships in Latin America. Chile is home to significant opportunities in a variety of sectors for New Zealand exporters – particularly food, tourism and agribusiness.

The overseas trips are part of a partnership between Young Enterprise and the Latin America Centre for Asia Pacific Excellence (CAPE). The Latin America CAPE’s innovative mobility programmes will give these young Kiwis a deeper knowledge and understanding of Latin America, the New Zealand business ecosystems in the region and a variety of New Zealand businesses operating in Chile, Colombia and Brazil.

New Zealand has a great track record for fresh thinking initiatives on the world stage. These trips are an investment in young New Zealanders; to enhance their intercultural business acumen, understanding of the importance of Latin America to New Zealand’s future, and to inspire them to be the next generation of young entrepreneurs!

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