WelCom December 2024/January 2025
A group of Year 12 business students from Sacred Heart College Napier have won the Hawke’s Bay North Regional Finals in this year’s Young Enterprise Scheme (YES).
Adalyn Homan, Amber Wright, Sneha Jenson, Sophia Unwin, Chahat Dhami, and Violet Unwin created Road Ready NZ, an innovative app designed to help young drivers practice essential skills.
The students’ success at regionals earned them the prestigious Tumu Company of the Year Award, a $1,000 scholarship each from Massey Business School, and the chance to receive mentorship from leading Hawke’s Bay professionals, supported by Fingermark and Folkl.
Road Ready NZ CEO Chahat said when the team got the email saying they’d made it to regionals, they said, ‘This is what we worked so hard for, so winning feels incredible.’
Business and Enterprise Teacher Simon Rutherford praised the students’ dedication, and their impressive preparation and teamwork. The team has set its sights on Nationals in Wellington on 5 December.
What started as an idea just nine months ago is now in the final stage of product-testing by a master’s student at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington.
The app utilises GPS technology to allow users to practice skills required to complete a restricted test around the driver’s chosen area with traffic lights, roundabouts, and parking manoeuvres. Voice commands guide users through the simulated test routes, offering tips and highlighting common mistakes to enhance learning and preparation.
The team is collecting localised data from councils around the country to put into the app.
For more information visit: @roadreadynz on Instagram, Road Ready NZ on Facebook, or on their website roadreadynz.co.nz.
