EIGHT STUDENTS FROM WICKLOW SECURE SPOT AT STUDENT ENTERPRISE PROGRAMME NATIONAL FINALS
Eight budding teenage entrepreneurs have been selected to represent Wicklow at the Student Enterprise Programme National Finals in Croke Park. The young entrepreneurs will represent their Local Enterprise Office and their county at the Student Enterprise Programme showpiece on the 2nd May.
Every September, entrepreneurial secondary school students across the country begin their business journey as they are encouraged to brainstorm, create and run their own businesses. In September 2017 over 23,000 students from 480 schools nationwide begun their entrepreneurial journey with the help of their teachers and their Local Enterprise Office (LEO).
The students were all competing at the Wicklow Final on 20th March, which was held at the Wicklow County Campus, Rathnew. A record 1,500 students from seventeen schools across County Wicklow took part in the annual programme
Ross Byrne with his project RB Woodcrafts, from CBS Arklow will be representing Wicklow at the National Final in the Junior Category.
In the Intermediate Category, 5 students Ollie Morrison, Rowan Cody, August Cowan, Setanta Ballesty and Ray McHallem from North Wicklow Educate Together in Bray, will be representing the county in Croke Park with their businessConsTEAlations
In the Senior Category of the competition, Wicklow will be represented on 2nd May by students Dylan Symes and Sam Ireland from Colaiste Craobh Amhann in Kilcoole, with their enterprise, Wild Wicklow Crafts.
Special guests at the Final included Donna Spellacy O Leary, from Showoff.ie, Mr. Frank Curran, Chief Executive, Wicklow County Council, and Mr. Robin Bradley, President of Wicklow Town & District Chamber of Commerce.
Co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices in every Local Authority area, the competition is the most successful student enterprise programme of its kind in the country. Wicklow has a very strong track record of success at the National Final, have won a national titles in both of the last two years.
The success of the Student Enterprise Programme is down to the entrepreneurial spirit of the students involved and Sheelagh Daly, Head of Local Enterprise Office Wicklow was quick to praise this year’s entrants. “Every year we are blown away by the ideas and the business savvy that these students have acquired at such a young age. They really are a credit to their teachers and school staff who have helped to nurture this talent. The Student Enterprise Programme is growing appeal every year and we hope to see many of these excellent young students coming through the door of their local LEO in the years to come. We wish todays winners all the very best as they go on to represent their county at the National Finals in Croke Park in May.”
The local students will be competing with hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland in Croke Park at the 16th Annual Student Enterprise Awards National Finals on May 2nd. The Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003 and with over 150,000 students getting involved since its inception.
Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.
The Local Enterprise Offices are co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Regional Development Fund 2014-2020.
