A WEEK in business can feel like a lifetime and for a special group of students it was an experience of a lifetime as well.<\/p>\n
Active participants in the high-level work experience program Mindshop Experience, the young cohort spent last week problem solving for Ballarat businesses.<\/p>\n
The aim of the program is to broaden their scope in career choices. Julie Mason, Mindshop Experience Program Director, said it is often difficult for an individual work experience student to be given responsibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe designed this as a group project approach which benefits both the students and the host organisation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The Year 10 students from six Ballarat schools researched, analysed, dissected, reassembled, discussed and allocated tasks to come up with a best solution for each of their business challenges.<\/p>\n
They presented their findings on the final day of the program.<\/p>\n
Mt Clear Secondary College\u2019s group detailed their work at Mitchell Harris Wines to reduce its waste to zero and make the business plastic free.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe paid thousands recently to have the business energy audited and we should have just asked these three girls to do it for us,\u201d said John Harris, Mitchell Harris Wines co-owner.<\/p>\n
Mercure Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre tasked Ballarat High School students to come up with suggestions to reduce its waste removal costs.<\/p>\n
The team calculated their results, a program for composters, cardboard compressors and green waste mulching, would reduce Mercure\u2019s costs by 50 per cent.<\/p>\n
Mercure\u2019s maintenance manager said they were so impressed they had already implemented some of the suggestions less than three hours after the group\u2019s presentation.<\/p>\n
A proposal to replace disposal packaging with re-usable containers from the Phoenix P12 College team was met with enthusiasm and a commitment to a trial program by Dan Cronin owner of The Western Hotel and his supplier Sinclair Meats.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team opened up our minds with their scope response,\u201d Mr Cronin said.<\/p>\n
The highlight for the Phoenix group was a sense of achievement.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was knowing that we had done something that is going to work, we fixed it and we helped Dan,\u201d Tyler Lenehan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSimon from Sinclair Meats was also really excited. He wants to roll it out for his other wholesale customers.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A WEEK in business can feel like a lifetime and for a special group of students it was an experience of a lifetime as well. Active participants in the high-level work experience program Mindshop Experience, the young cohort spent last week problem solving for Ballarat businesses. The aim of the program is to broaden their […]<\/p>\n