Innovative students solve challenges for New Zealand’s primary sectors

GrowingNZ Innovation Challenge Day: Wellington

What:

Dozens of Year 10 and 11 secondary school students are set to compete on Friday in a fast-paced event innovation challenge that invites them to solve a series of issues currently facing New Zealand’s primary sectors.

The GrowingNZ Innovation Challenge Day requires students to use their research skills and practical knowledge of science, technology and business, to design and prototype an innovative and viable solution to a real-life situation being faced by one of New Zealand’s largest export sectors.

The day is part of GrowingNZ’s programme that provides information, activities and resources to create awareness of opportunities for young people in any one of New Zealand’s innovative primary sectors. It aims to broaden young New Zealanders’ understanding of the primary sectors and quash the perception that it’s just about ‘gumboots and physically hard work’. By 2025, the primary sectors will need 50,000 more people with a diverse range of skills including technology, business and science.

The 2018 event saw students address issues such as maintaining on-farm water supply, forestry traceabilty and biosecurity using enablers such as nano-technology, biofuels and 3D printing. This year’s students will be introduced to new sector-relevant challenges, announced on the day.

The day-long event is one of seven being hosted around the country throughout the year with others being held in Palmerston North, Hastings, Dunedin and Timaru.

Who:

The event is run by Young Enterprise, funded by DairyNZ and supported by GrowingNZ (the Primary Industry Capability Alliance - PICA). PICA is an alliance of industry, educators and government working together to connect a diverse range of talented people with opportunities to thrive in New Zealand’s primary sectors.

When:

9am-3pm, Friday 7 June

Where:

Lower Hutt Events Centre, Lower Hutt

To find out when other GrowingNZ Innovation Challenge Days will be hosted in other regions around New Zealand, please visit http://youngenterprise.org.nz/events/growingnz-innovation-challenge-day/

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