PRESS RELEASE

450 North Cork students brainstorm at special event in Charleville

450 second level students from all over North Cork were put through their paces earlier this week at a special Student and Teacher brainstorming Day held at the Charleville Park Hotel on Monday 25^th September. The event is part of the North Cork Schools Enterprise Programme, which encourages students to set up and run a business over the course of the academic year to help them learn all about entrepreneurship.

One of Ireland’s leading innovation training companies, The Entrepreneurs Academy, facilitated the event that gave the young teens the opportunity to learn about the most exciting new business ideas being developed around the world and how they too can learn various brainstorming techniques to develop their own business ideas for the mini-company programme.

The young entrepreneurs were then broken into groups to do some practical idea generation work to help them find innovative ideas that they can base their mini companies on for this year’s competition.

In total 13 of the second level schools from North Cork were represented at the event, with students taking part in the programme from both junior and senior cycle.

Kevin Curran, Head of Enterprise welcomed the students and teachers and said “we are looking forward to another successful year with the Schools Enterprise Programme. The Programme in North Cork is one of the strongest in the country and we are very fortunate to have such dedicated teachers who work tirelessly every year to help their students learn about the importance of entrepreneurship. I myself have undertaken training courses with the Entrepreneurs Academy and they are excellent. We hope you make the most of the experience and enjoy the day.”

Speaking at the event, Co-Ordinator of the North Cork Schools Enterprise Programme, Garry Lowe said ‘We are really delighted with the huge turnout at today’s event. We have 450 students from all over North Cork brainstorming and networking with each other. There was a lot of positivity in the room here today. We hope they will take on board the processes we have shown them and apply them again and again over the coming months. Today’s event could completely change the way they view their future careers.’

Ann Doherty of St Mary’s College Charleville said “It’s a great start to the academic year for us and of course we are so proud to be the reigning senior champions of student enterprise in North Cork! We hope to continue with this success with the programme this year”.

The next event in the North Cork Schools Enterprise calendar is the Christmas Trade Fair which takes place on 7^th December when students will set up stands and put their products and services on display to the public.

ENDS

Further Information:

Joan Kelleher

Business Adviser

Mobile: 086 7398851

Email: joan.kelleher@leo.corkcoco.ie

Web: www.studententerprise.ie