Teenager sets up digital education platform to guide youth

After working upwards of 30 hours a week on top of school, Lachlan decided to focus on his own ventures. He hasn't looked back since.

AMBITION: Ipswich teenager Lachlan Delchau-Jones launched a digital education platform, Harbinger Education, with plans to take seminars across the country later this year targeted at young people. Picture: Rob Williams

AN AMBITIOUS Ipswich teenager believes there is no better time than now for young people to be self-starters in the jobs market; he is already making his own mark on the business world.

High school senior Lachlan Delchau-Jones, 17, runs two e-commerce businesses and earlier this year established a digital education platform alongside a business partner from Adelaide.

Driven by a motto of "By the youth, for the youth" Harbinger Education aims to tutor young people in about the methods and possibilities of online business.

Lachlan plans to take seminars across the country later this year after recently returning home from a pilot event in Sydney, with another in Brisbane planned this weekend.

After disappointment over a lack of shifts at McDonald's, he applied for "hundreds of jobs" and landed two part-time gigs at Nando's and City Beach.

Lachlan said he worked upwards of 30 hours a week on top of school and often got home close to midnight.

The St Augustine's College student decided this year to give up working for someone else to focus on his own ventures.

"Sacrifice is a huge thing," he said.

"I've carried on since 2017, just building that base. Both (businesses) have worked really well for me.

"It was a huge risk... when I started, I lost thousands of dollars. I thought I knew a bit better than I did."

He said his education platform was designed for young people looking for other options after leaving school and believed the system only pushed students towards further study.

"I think there's an epidemic of people, especially moving forward now, who want to take different routes," he said.

"No one at school told me how to pay tax... no one taught me how to go and get a business number.

"There's so much more that can be taught."

Originally published as Teenager sets up digital education platform to guide youth