The first Business Boot Camp cohort – many of these students are now graduating from university and entering the workforce.
For five years some of the country’s top commerce and economics students have converged on Massey University’s Auckland campus to immerse themselves in the world of business. The carefully selected group of 50 secondary school students give up one week of their April school holidays for what many say is a life-changing experience. The students meet business leaders in their workplaces, participate in a range of challenging workshops and learn a lot about themselves in the process.
“Reaching the five-year milestone for Business Boot Camp is a big deal for us,” says co-organiser Dr Jeff Stangl from the Massey Business School, “as the first cohort of participants are now starting to graduate from university and entering the workforce.
“We are still in touch with past students and most have gone on to succeed in their studies, work and life. It’s very rewarding because they say the boot camp experience made a real difference to their confidence and the way they have approached the opportunities that have come their way.”
The first boot camp was held in 2013 and was the brainchild of Dr Stangl, his wife Dr Loren Stangl, who lectures in marketing at the Massey Business School, and HP education specialist David Farquhar. The trio are all still very hands on with the programme, directing a team of boot camp graduates who return each year to inspire the next wave of students.
Building relationships and broadening horizons
Dr Stangl says Business Boot Camp aims to broaden the horizons of bright students at a time when many are thinking about their future careers.
“Today’s young people will have many different careers in their working lives, so they don’t need to be stressed if they don’t have a clear idea of what that looks like yet,” he says. “But they do need to be adaptable critical thinkers who remain open to new ideas.
“Boot camp is about exposing students to a wide range of career options and giving them an opportunity to connect with mentors and peers. Every cohort for the past five years has established networks at boot camp that will benefit them for the rest of their careers.”
Some of New Zealand’s most successful organisations open their doors for Business Boot Camp, including McDonald’s, Vodafone, HP, Xero, Fonterra, Air New Zealand, MYOB, NZX, Snowplanet, The Warehouse Group and Colliers International. The students also spend time at Massey’s business incubator, the ecentre, and GridAkl to get a better understanding of Auckland’s innovation ecosystem.
Representatives of sponsors – McDonald’s, Vodafone, HP, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and Jucy – will visit Massey’s Auckland campus to share their personal stories about how their own careers developed over time. During the week-long residential programme, the students also participate in a range of workshops designed to develop all-important soft skills like communication, critical thinking and collaboration.