News

Young entrepreneurs aid local causes

By Daniel Harvey

Sep 7, 2026

Vocational Major students have been met with a great task of creating their own enterprises in the hopes of raising money for causes close to them.

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Through the Social Enterprise Schools program, Rochester Secondary College Year 12 students have been developing, pitching and running their very own products and services.

VM teacher Annalese Oliver said the program had given students an opportunity to take ownership of projects while developing skills they could use in the workforce.

“They’ve certainly taken this challenge upon themselves, and have been going around to classrooms and advertising their products,” Ms Oliver said.

Under minimal supervision, students developed their own business ideas, calculated start-up costs and pitched their proposals to the “sharks”, the principal and business manager, to receive $100 in start-up funding.

Hunter Hartshorne scrubs a car for his business. Photo by Daniel Harvey

Student projects ranged from a car-washing service and kindling sales to beaded bracelets, customised badges and handmade fire pits crafted entirely from recycled materials — a creative and resourceful mix.

Before any profits reach their chosen charity or community organisation, students must first recoup their initial $100 investment.

Ms Oliver said the students had quickly discovered there was much more to running a business than simply creating a product.

“Behind the scenes there was a lot of maths, literacy, and lots of communication going on,” she said.

“I think it certainly puts them on the front foot for going into the workforce in the very near future.”

Ms Oliver said giving students the freedom to champion causes they genuinely cared about had been a key driver in keeping them motivated and engaged throughout the program.

“I think if something has impacted them personally or they’ve had a connection to it, they feel more strongly about it,” she said.

Profits from the program will go towards organisations including Yalukang Aged Care, mental health and cancer charities, and a range of other local causes — a meaningful outcome for students and community alike.