LEO Cork North & West Launch Women In Business Programme in Charleville

Women in Business

Cork North & West Local Enterprise Office Launch Female Specific Training Programme

Cork County Council’s Local Enterprise Office Cork North & West are focused on supporting women in business to ensure that women have an equal opportunity to reach their full potential. As part of their female initiatives they launched a Female Specific training programme on Wednesday 27th September 2017 in the Charleville Park Hotel. The focus of this programme in on working with women to develop key skills that will help them grow their business and create jobs within the region.

The programme covers business skills such as business planning, financial planning, marketing and sales, human resource management, leadership skills and building a team. The programme commenced on Wednesday 27th September 2017 and will run for 10 consecutive weeks in the Charleville Park Hotel.

Kevin Curran Head of Local Enterprise Office Cork North & West said “The LEO offices of Cork County Council are at the heart of the business community assisting in generating sustainable jobs. This programme will encourage and support dedicated female entrepreneurial activity in the area. There are some wonderful and dedicated female entrepreneurs in the area and we in the Local Enterprise Office are delighted to assist them through the various training, mentoring & business development support programmes”.

LEO Cork North and West have a good track record in supporting successful women in business with examples such as Maura Hunter of MH Designs. Maura Hunter founded the nationally renowned MH Designs Ltd. over 25 years ago. A mother to 5 daughters at the time, she was frustrated with the limited access to what was a lack of good design at the time. After years of exams, hard work and dedication, Maura finally saw her ideas unfold into reality. Expanding through networking and training from the LEO (NCEB). MH Designs is now an established business and has been featured on RTE 1's At Your Service with the distinguished John and Francis Brennan on numerous occasions. Maura has enrolled in this programme to further progress her Business.

Siobhain Steele, of Siobhain Steele Ceramics set up her ceramic studio at home in 2013. Four years on her business has steadily grown and her ceramics are now available in over 30 stores nationwide and she has recently secured stores in New York. For Siobhain she realised her dream of starting and growing her own business while being able to achieve personal quality of life and work from home.

Joan Kelleher, Business and Training Advisor of the Leo Cork North and West said “We are very proud of all of our clients. These two ladies provide excellent role models to women in business in the region and are excellent examples of female entrepreneurs. Very often through these training and support programmes business ideas are unlocked and the capacity of the participants is developed so as to provide for a strong foundation for success and further engagement with the vast array of supports offered to small business opportunities through our LEO’s. “

Kevin Curran Head of Enterprise Cork North & West said “ It is our intention to continue and support all business the best way we can. If research indicates that female specific initiatives will help us to help business grow then we will provide female specific initiatives. We will also continue to run a full range of training programmes for both men and women so we believe that we are providing a range of supports that will suit everyone’s requirements.