24th March 2021

CARLOW STUDENTS SET FOR NATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP FINAL

Local Enterprise Office Carlow have announced that winning teenager entrepreneurs from Knockbeg College will represent Carlow at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Final on Friday 14^th May.  As with last year’s event the Final will take place virtually with approximately 80 finalist teams logging in all over the country.  

The students all took part in the County Final on 24^th March 2021, which was held virtually. An estimated 117 students from five schools took part in the annual programme locally. Welcoming the Students , Cllr. Tom O’Neill , Cathaoirleach of Carlow said “he welcomed the students and acknowledged the significant work they had put into the Student Enterprise Programme in 2021 along with this teachers”.

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 29,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part in 2019 / 2020.  The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Final.

• In the Junior Category, the students representing Carlow at the National Final are: Megan Dollard and Niamh O’Reilly from Nutella Cookies at St. Leo’s College.

• In the Intermediate Category, Leah Reddy, Clodagh O'Shea and Teresa López from E-TEM at Tyndall College will be representing the county at the Final.

• In the Senior Category of the competition, Carlow will be represented on May 14^th by Paddy Marnane from PM Sports at Knockbeg College.

Special guests at the Carlow Final included Cathaoirleach for Carlow Cllr Tom O’Neill, Kieran Comerford Head of Economic Development and Enterprise, Áine Carey Student Enterprise Programme Co-Ordinator and Kate Gaynor owner of The Paint Hub.

The County has a successful track record in the student enterprise competition. Only last year a group from Tullow Community School won runner up in the Senior Category at the National Final. The students involved were: Dannah Kearney O’Brien, Ellie Byrne, Michelle Murray and Megan Doyle, who worked under the guidance of their teacher, Mr. Brian Larkin. Their student enterprise was called: ‘The Last Straw’, which supplies stainless steel re-usable straws into fast food outlets, to reduce the number of plastic/paper straws going to landfill.

Speaking at the county final, Kieran Comerford of Local Enterprise Office Carlow congratulated the students, saying “We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Carlow, with over 117 students from five 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 Friday 14th, we’ll all be logged on to support them.  In what has been a particularly challenging year for students the programme has offered them an outlet outside of the usual school demands.  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 virtually on the 14^th May. 

Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 220,000 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 2020 / 2021 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.

ENDS                                                                                                                                                                       

For further information, please contact Local Enterprise Office Carlow: enterprise@carlowcoco.ie

Notes to Editor

Names of participating schools in Student Enterprise Programme: Knockbeg College, Tyndall College, Borris Vocational School, St. Leo’s College and St. Mary’s Academy CBS Carlow

Names of winning enterprises

• Junior Category Results: Megan Dollard and Niamh O’Reilly from Nutella Cookies at St. Leo’s College.

• Intermediate Category Results: Leah Reddy, Clodagh O'Shea and Teresa López from E-TEM at Tyndall College.

• Senior Category Results: Paddy Marnane from PM Sports at Knockbeg College.

School Finalists:

• Dylan Tormey and Ciaran Keogh from Carlow Seasonal at St. Mary's Academy CBS Carlow

• Eolann McDonald from Wooden Craft McD at Borris Vocational School 

• Sheila Doyle and Hannah Dunphy from Swish & Splash at St. Leo’s College

• Paddy Marnane from PM Sports at Knockbeg College.

Social Media Award: Pauius Venys from Woodwork by Paulius at St. Mary's Academy CBS Carlow

Social Enterprise Award: Ciara Dowling, Rebecca Kehoe Dowling, Patricia Ehigiamusoe and Stephanie Clare from The Holy Angel's Calendars 2021 at St. Leo's College

About the Student Enterprise Programme (studententerprise.ie)

The Student Enterprise Programme is co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices and involves approximately 29,000 students from 500 secondary schools every year. It runs from September to May and the 2020/2021 National Final takes place online on the 14^th May.                                                                               

Website: www.studententerprise.ie / #studententerprise / Twitter: @StudentEntProg / Facebook: /studententerpriseprogramme / Instagram: /studententerpriseprogramme