Year 12 and 13 Wairarapa students will gain some real-life business skills when they pitch their ideas to local business people at Business Experience this week.
The students have to work together to create a business idea, business plan and set up a company in a three-day workshop hosted atSolway College.
Under the guidance of representatives from Topmark Group and Wairarapa REAP, students will form mini companies to develop a product idea and business plan to take to the market.
Teams will be made up of students from different colleges, with team members taking on roles such as chief executive, production manager, finance officer, marketer, designer and IT specialist.
Students will present their ideas to a panel of local business leaders who will decide the winning team and give awards for presentation, marketing, innovation and finance. Last year, the winners and runners-up got to visit innovative businesses with Grow Wellington.
Alex Simpson, one of last year's participants, said: "Originally I wanted to just do accounting but the Business Experience inspired me to think about starting my own business."
The event, which started yesterday and finishes tomorrow, is supported by Lands Trust Masterton, Wairarapa Workforce Development Trust and Wairarapa REAP.
Participating schools include Wairarapa College, Solway College, Ponatahi Christian School, Kuranui College, Makoura College and Chanel College.
