BY Kerri-Anne Mesner
SHAREHOLDERS of a student-run business have received a 50 per cent return on their investment, while the company has been declared one of the top three student-run companies in Victoria.
The company, YA Productions, run by 13 Deer Park Secondary Year 11 students as part of the Young Achievement Australia Business Skills Program, has been named a finalist for the Holmesglen Institute of TAFE Secondary Company of the Year 2007 Award.
The company was also a finalist in the Special Performance category.
Under the Young Achievement Australia (YAA) – Business Skills Program project, the students formed YA Productions and decided to sell multi-purpose key chains that were small, inexpensive and easy to sell. To raise the collateral to begin their company, they began by selling shares at $2 each.
Over two-and-a-half terms the team followed the YAA program and ran the business for their Business Management Studies, with each of the team members playing a role, looking after either manufacturing, environmental, HR, finance, marketing and sales.
At the end of the project, the students liquidated the business, wrote cheques out to the shareholders with a 50 per cent return on their profit and closed down the company.
The team’s mentor, teacher Helena Croser, said this was a fantastic experience for all involved as it allowed practical and workplace experience for the students at Deer Park Secondary.
The students said they had learnt innumerable life skills through this program and were committed to working with future groups of students who elected to take the same subject.
The students who set up and ran the company are Samantha Schnabel (company director), Emine Arisoy (company secretary), Shannon Salmon and Ryan Barry (finance), Willis Lie and Kathie Nguyen (marketing), David Ladu and Francis Deng (manufacturing), George Sklapanis, Vu Tu and John Tran (environmental team), and Michelle Lay and Khanh Nguyen (sales).
The business skills program was sponsored by Brimbank Council, which contributed $5000 in April, and the partnership was integral to the viability of the business.
Brimbank Council has sponsored program for various education institutes in the municipality since 1998.
Brimbank mayor Margaret Giudice said the council was pleased to have facilitated the project and congratulated the students on their achievement.
“Brimbank Council is committed to the development of healthy, well-connected and resilient young people in Brimbank,” she said.
“Sponsoring this project was just one of the ways in which the council is encouraging our young people to develop their skills and potential. It has helped foster the qualities of leadership, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit in the students who took part. This will serve them in good stead for the future.”
