Countdown to Croke Park for local students

Countdown to Croke Park for local students

Croke Park Final

Enterprising young teenagers from across the country are getting ready to showcase their inventions and real-life businesses at the Student Enterprise Awards National Finals, co-ordinated by Local Enterprise Office Carlow. “An innovative young teenager Clodagh Brophy from St. Leo’s School, Carlow is getting ready to showcase her real-life business.

From the 22,000 secondary school students from 620 schools that took part this year, teens from 76 student enterprises have won a place at this year’s National Final in Croke Park on Wednesday April 20th and students from every county across Ireland will be demonstrating their businesses and inventions for the judging panels on the day.

The Student Enterprise Awards Programme is in its 14th year and brings the world of business into the classroom, helping students develop enterprise and management skills. With the support of their schools and the Local Enterprise Offices in the Local Authorities Network, students research, set-up and run their own real-life businesses.

Congratulating the local students and their schools on winning a place at the National Final, Kieran Comerford, the Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Carlow said: “We run a very successful and popular Student Enterprise Programme here locally, thanks to the support of many Schools and Teachers in the area. The Student Enterprise Awards give local teenagers a taste of what it’s like to run their own business and to be their own boss. Along the way, the programme helps them develop important entrepreneurship skills, learning about sales, innovation, managing finances and finding new markets. Learning the fundamentals of running a business now, will help them throughout their studies and career. ”

Kathleen Holohan Chief Executive of Carlow County Council said “she was amazed at the high standard, professional business plans and creativity among the students”. She said “The Student Enterprise Awards encourages and enables students to take on the world of business and develop an entrepreneurial mind-set. By fostering an enterprising culture in the classroom, the Local Enterprise Offices are working with teachers and schools to help nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs”. Kathleen continued to say that “the Student Enterprise Award project is just one example of how the Local Enterprise Office as part of Carlow County Council can continue to support local enterprise development and is part of over 100 actions and events which will be hosted in 2016.

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D. said: “As I have said many times before, we have great entrepreneurs in Ireland but we just don’t have enough of them. That is why at the heart of our jobs plans are measures to encourage more young people to consider starting their own business as a career choice. The Student Enterprise Awards are central to this effort, and is an opportunity to witness the amazing quality of the businesses being established by our students and to celebrate their achievements. These young people are the innovators and the job-creators of tomorrow, and I’d like to wish everyone competing in this year’s competition every success with their business”.

Carlow has a significant track record at the National Finals of the Student Enterprise Awards having won same with HUDEBA from Borris Vocational School & Rapid from Presentation College Askea and last year’s entry School of Sound from Tullow Community School won the Social Media Award”.

The next Student Enterprise Awards programme starts in September, with further details on www.studententerprise.ie

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) is now the ‘first-stop-shop’ State support service for micro and small businesses in the area. The LEO provides advice and direction, covering all government supports and requirements, to anyone who wishes to start or expand a business. The LEO can also provide funding for projects that meet certain criteria, generally with regard to export potential, and other non-financial supports such as training and mentoring.  Details on the supports available through the Local Enterprise Office is available through www.localenterprise.ie