UNE SRI introduces young people to business during Oorala Experience Days

High school students from across the state learned more about business, innovation and entrepreneurship when they came to NOVA as part of the Oorala Aboriginal Centre’s Experience Days.

The Experience Days are aimed at high school students in years 10 to 12, and provide a glimpse of some of the opportunities available to them if they choose to enrol at the University of New England.

“During the multi-day programs, participating young people who expressed interest in business attended a session at NOVA, ‘Are you sitting on an idea?’

“Three great groups of young people came along to the business sessions at NOVA,” said UNE SMART Region Incubator’s Regional Connector in Armidale, Cherene Spendelove.

"We introduced them to NOVA (the building and co-working community), UNE SMART Region Incubator, business courses at UNE, and pathways that support entrepreneurship.”

UNE SRI founder Danielle Morton, Zondii shared a little of her founder journey and what it means to be an entrepreneur, before leading a hands-on workshop that provided insight into what it means to be the founder of an award-winning agritech startup.

“Students were very engaged with Danielle’s workshop, and the wool-classing challenge which clearly demonstrated the real world problem that Zondii is solving for wool growers,” Ms Spendelove said.

“Thanks to a timely delivery, they also had the unique opportunity to be among the first to see a prototype of Zondii’s hand-held device which had just arrived in Armidale!”

The attending students shared their broad interests, and their enthusiasm for entrepreneurship.

“We were excited by the students’ energy and the range of potential start-ups in the room, and excited to hear about one group of Goodooga young people who are already working on their business!”