Student Enterprise Awards 2018

Three budding teenage entrepreneurs have been selected to represent Wexford 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 County Wexford Final on 22nd March 2018 which was held at the National Opera House, Wexford.  An estimated 1,300 students from 20 participating schools took part in the annual programme locally.

In the Junior Category, the students representing County Wexford at the National Finals are: Jack Barron from Tweet This at Colaiste Abbain, Adamstown, Co. Wexford. (Pictured below.)

In the Intermediate Category, Sean Bennett, Picture Perfect Prints from Ramsgrange Community School will be representing the county in Croke Park. (Pictured below.)

In the Senior Category of the competition Wexford will be represented on 2nd May by Ben Handrick from Little Elephant at Creagh College, Gorey. (Pictured below.)

The following companies sponsored the Awards; PwC, BNY Mellon and the EPA.  The overall programme was delivered in association with Wexford Enterprise Centre.

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

The success of the Student Enterprise Programme is down to the entrepreneurial spirit of the students involved and the Breege Cosgrave, Senior Enterprise Development Officer of Local Enterprise Office 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.”

An Cathoirleach, Cllr. John Hegarty in his opening address highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship to the economy of Wexford and explained that Council initiatives such as the as the development of industrial space is essential component of future grow. Based on the calibre of projects at the event, the future of business in Wexford is safe hands. 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.

Entrepreneurial Educator of the Year this year went to Edel Peters. Edel is pictured below with Brendan Ennis (Wexford Enterprise Centre), Cllr Michael Sheehan, Breege Cosgrave (Local Enterprise Office), Emer Doyle (Project Cordinator of the Student Enterprise prgoramme in Wexford), Cllr John Hegarty (Chairman of Wexford County Council), Edward Flannery (BNY Mellon sponsor), Ben Handrick (Senior Section Winner) and Richard McEvoy (BNY Mellon sponsor).

An album full of the winners, the other competitors and their stands from the Awards night can be found on LEO Wexford's Facebook page here.

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.