Kura students chart their course to entrepreneurship – Te Ao Māori News

Two young Māori students from Te Kura kaupapa Māori o Horouta Wānanga in Gisborne are making the most of their school holidays by participating in the Young Navigators seminar in Auckland. Arohea Pēwhairangi and Omaio Waititi are among over 50 students taking part in this initiative aimed at fostering the entrepreneurial spirit among Māori and Pasifika youth.

Waititi, of Ngāti Porou and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui descent, emphasizes the importance of seeing representation in entrepreneurial spaces that reflect her own identity. Meanwhile, Pēwhairangi, who hails from Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-ā-Māhaki, and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, expresses her desire to delve deeper into entrepreneurship and related knowledge at university.

Sponsored by One NZ and Pacific Business Trust, the seminar, now in its second year, is organized by the Young Enterprise Scheme. The three-day wānanga provides an all-expenses-paid opportunity for students to enhance their skills and critical thinking abilities essential for their future entrepreneurial endeavors.

Ian Musson, head of the Young Enterprise Scheme and also of Ngāti Porou descent, highlights the challenges the students are tackling during the seminar. One such challenge involves addressing food insecurity on a global scale, with the students tasked with devising innovative solutions within a limited timeframe.

Musson recognizes the potential of programs like Young Navigators in nurturing the creativity and problem-solving skills of young indigenous individuals. He commends the students for their innovative ideas and believes in their ability to make a positive impact in the entrepreneurial world.