Bay teenagers are being encouraged to put their creativity to work to come up with the next big business idea in the Bay of Plenty's annual secondary school business ideas competition.
Priority One's INSTEP programme manager Lyn Parlane says the Young Innovator Awards competition is a great way for students to learn about business.

Business student Hayley Butler with last year's winning entry. Photo by Tracy Hardy.

Lyn, who runs the programme linking the business industry with Western Bay schools, says the event was a success when launched last year and hopes for more than the 56 entries received last year.
'The whole programme is about teaching students business skills which they can use in real life,” she says.
'There is quite a lot involved. They need to find a need, then find the solution for it.”
All business ideas must be for a new or improved sustainable product or service. Top entries from senior and junior students win a $1000 prize and advice on how to develop their ideas further.
Mount Maunganui College Year 13 student Hayley Butler won the senior section last year and encourages others to enter.
'I really enjoyed it and learnt a lot,” says Hayley.
Hayley and Mikkayla Leckie won the prize for a proposal for a Bluetooth mobile phone headset to stop drivers falling asleep at the wheel. The headset would emit a loud alarm if the driver's head tilted by 30 degrees and get louder until the head straightened up.
Entries close on June 1. For more details visit www.yia.co.nz