Young Business Mind Awards 2024

The Young Business Mind Awards (YBMA) has launched this year’s search for young innovators and entrepreneurs.

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The YBMA has been providing a showcase opportunity for children and young people under the age of 25 to develop entrepreneurial projects since 2017.

Young people are encouraged to enter a business idea, design a new product or showcase a creative project for a chance to win cash prizes, school recognition, industry mentorship and participation in this year’s Hunter Innovation Festival. Primary students are encouraged to take on a class project exploring ideas around Sustainability. Secondary students and under 25s can work as individuals or in groups across the categories of Sustainability, Social or Business Enterprise, Creative Industries or Design and Technology. It’s about taking a step closer to a future where their ideas can make a difference.

Last year, a group of six Year 8 students from Hunter School of Performing Arts (HSPA) won the Social Enterprise category for their innovative, accessible self-checkout design. The exposure from the event has propelled their project forward, and they are now collaborating with Woolworths who is piloting its own accessible self-checkout design. The students will be travelling to Sydney to meet the design team behind it with the trip being funded by the winnings from YBMA.

"Winning the YBMA was a transformative experience for our students,” said Ben Moore, TAS teacher and STEM Project Officer at HSPA.

“It not only validated their hard work but the support and recognition also opened doors to incredible opportunities to collaborate with industry leaders."

The YBMA is presented by Career Links, the organisation behind the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Career Expo and the Work Placement Program. The team are also collaborating with the Hunter Innovation Festival, the premier platform for showcasing innovation in our region.

Ryan Muir, CEO of RAM Manufacturing and member of Hunter IF's Advanced Manufacturing Action Summit group, is thrilled to collaborate with YBMA.

“This partnership marks a pivotal moment as two great organisations join forces to nurture the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs by providing them with the resources and recognition they need to succeed,” said Ryan.

All the information about the awards can be found at www.ybma.com.au. Entries close on 3 September 2024.