CORK CITY STUDENTS SET FOR NATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP FINAL
Local Enterprise Office Cork City have announced that teenage entrepreneurs from Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh will represent Cork City at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Final on Thursday 9th May. They now progress to the national finals to represent Cork City and will enjoy the first prize of an all expenses paid trip to the OtterCares Global Business Academy Programme in Colorado this Summer all sponsored by Cork City base OtterProducts.
The students all took part in the City Final on Tuesday March 12th, which was held at Devere Hall in UCC. An estimated 700 students from 20 took part in the annual programme locally.
The enterprise education initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country, saw over 28,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part in 2022 / 2023. The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Final.
In the Senior Category of the competition, City will be represented on May 9th by Comhar Cards Ltd at Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh.
Special guests at the Cork City Final included judges Joan Walsh, MD Partnership International, Farah O’Regan, Otterproducts, Barrie Collins, MD OtterProducts and Emma Coffey, MD UGC Media.
Speaking at the county final, Dr. Niall O’Keeffe Head of Local Enterprise Office Cork City congratulated the students, saying “We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Cork City, with over 700 students from 20 local schools taking part this year. Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the very best of luck on the 9th May, and we will all hope to be there to support them. What our students are learning from the programme is that with the right supports and encouragement, they can take an idea from the classroom and develop it into a real-life business. The skills they learn along the way, such as business planning, market research, selling and team-work, will help them become more entrepreneurial throughout their future careers”.
The local students will be competing against hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland at the Student Enterprise Programme National Final, taking place in the Mullingar Park Hotel on the 9th May.
Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 380,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business. The Student Enterprise Programme also has new range of online resources for 2023 / 2024 at www.studententerprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.
Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.
Names of winning enterprises
Second place Agri Clean, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Blarney
Third place Vida Nova, Presentation Brothers College
Best Innovation Agri Clean, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Blarney
Best Sustainable Idea, Vida Nova, Presentation Brothers College
Best Display Stand, Mentalia, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Blarney
Best Sales, Comhar Cards Ltd at Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh.
Best Business Report, Sea Suds Soap, Spioraid Naoimh
Best Commercial Potential, Sew Chic, Scoil Mhuire
About the Student Enterprise Programme (studententerprise.ie)
The Student Enterprise Programme is co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices and involves approximately 28,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools every year. It runs from September to May and the 2023/2024 National Final takes place on the 9th May.
Website: www.studententerprise.ie / #studententerprise / Twitter: @StudentEntProg / Facebook: /studententerpriseprogramme / Instagram: /studententerpriseprogramme
