Te Maori: Workshop a taste of business world

Edgecumbe College students Jamie Arrol (left) and Pierce Te Whaiti were among 45 Maori students chosen to take part in business workshop Te Wero Pakihi. Photo/Tamaira Hook

Young Maori students are being inspired to think big and pursue a career in business.

Forty-five students were chosen throughout the country to take part in Te Wero Pakihi (The Business Challenge) - a five-day workshop in Auckland, organised by The Maori Women's Development Incorporation, that gave them a real-life taste of running a business.

Those involved included Edgecumbe College students Jamie Arrol (Ngati Pikiao, Ngati Awa) and Pierce Te Whaiti (Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Awa).

Participants were chosen through high school introductory programme Maibiz and by submitting a 500-word essay on why they should take part in the workshop.

"I loved it, meeting all these new people and being able to work on projects such as a viral ad for The Coffee Club. We have to think how we will make it go, produce profits and getting people interested," Jamie said.

"I am looking at pursuing a career in engineering and learning through Maibiz and Te Wero Pakihi, it's helped me understand what I'm needing to do. My goal is to get a good education and accepted into university to study engineering then work for myself and start employing others.

"Coming up here has shown me that I need to think a little bit more outside the square, but I believe I can do it."

For Pierce, it was his second time at Te Wero Pakihi, returning this year as a student mentor. "Last year I was engaged in more of the activities but it's been great helping other students and supporting them," he said.

"Edgecumbe is a pretty rural town with farmlands so it's really cool to be able to come to the big city and visit and see the universities. You definitely learn a lot and it has inspired me to go to uni and study marketing.

"I want to be able to travel all around the world, and study education a bit as well, do something that I can take overseas."

Chief executive of The Maori Women's Development Incorporation Teresa Tepania-Ashton (Ngapuhi) said the main purpose of the programme was to encourage Maori students to take that step into tertiary education and continue into business.

"The Maibiz programme is targeted at high-populated Maori schools that have the tendency to be low-decile schools. They don't usually have the resources to offer business subjects," Mrs Tepania-Ashton said. "They had to produce a 500-word essay on why they're interested in business and the school, ourselves, and the team that delivers the school programme choose who will take part. I can tell you in general the essays provided were truly inspirational and of a very high calibre - we're really over the moon in relation to the talent."

Mrs Tepania-Ashton said Te Wero Pakihi was a "real eye-opener" for many of the students who had never been to Auckland before, let alone on a plane.

"It will certainly open their mind to new possibilities. We hope they'll consider going into business one day and studying business at a tertiary institution." The Maori Women's Development Incorporation covered all the students' travel, accommodation and course costs.

Massey University and Westpac were co-sponsors of Te Wero Pakihi, and New Zealand-owned cafe franchise The Coffee Club. They provided students with a real-life marketing challenges. Students also were able to trial a prototype of a new board game called Mana Millionaires and learn how to manage their personal finances.