UCOL Whanganui is proud to celebrate a cohort of U-Skills secondary ākonga undertaking Business Enterprise Level 3, for their success in the National Young Enterprise Scheme (YES).
Claire Wickham, Learning Advisor and U-Skills Lecturer for UCOL, says our ākonga mā were the only group in the region to complete all unit and assessment standards and all four of the YES Challenges.
"We're so proud of the determination and perseverance of these students to achieve what they have," says Wickham.
"Not only have they completed all unit and assessment standards for Business Enterprise Level 3 through various assessments worked on throughout the year, but they also completed all four YES challenges and have placed in the YES programme with great success."
"The four challenges include product validation, business pitch, promotion and sales, and to undertake an annual review."
The cohort of U-Skills ākonga made up five different YES teams which were;
- Jones Threads – streetwear and Y2K themed clothing
- Her to You Collective – tote bags with messages to promote individuality and cultural empowerment
- Ryze – web design
- C&L Collective – activewear
- Valerian Bags – handcrafted bags from sustainably sourced end-of-line materials
The respective success that each team had was:
- Her to You Collective came 3rd in the region for their business pitch.
- Valerian Bags achieved 100% for their sales and marketing campaign placing them 1st equal in the region.
- Both Valerian Bags and Her to You Collective qualified for the regional finals. There are only five finalists chosen for the regional finals, so this is a massive achievement.
- Two groups were finalists in other regional award categories – Ryze in Brand Identity and Valerian Bags in Innovation.
- Both Jones Threads and Valerian Bags received Golden Spoon awards at the regional finals.
For secondary school students interested in studying U-Skills at UCOL, have a chat with your school's Career Advisor and have a read of our 2025 U-Skills programme here.
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