Over 400 students from second level schools all over North Cork took part in a Christmas Fair run by the Local Enterprise Office Cork North & West at the Mallow GAA complex on Friday 9th of December.
A total of 59 mini-companies from second level schools all over Cork from 1st year and Transition Years set up and put on display products they have produced since the school year began in September. The event was organised as part of the Student Enterprise Programme run by the LEO. To reward their effort, the Local Enterprise Office Cork North and West put up a number of trophies and the competition was fierce.
The Best Overall in the Junior Category was Holiday Creations of Davis College who made wonderful Christmas decorations. Such was the number of entrants in the senior category, it was decided to split the entrants into 2 halves and award trophies in each group. The Best Overall Prize in Group 1 was “Picture That” from Colaiste Treasa in Kanturk. They produced very decorative framed personalised family trees. The Best Overall Prize in Group 2 was Fantasy Hurling from Charleville CBS who created web based fantasy hurling game for sports fans.
There were also trophies presented under the headings of Best Display, Innovation, Interview, Sales Techniques, Team Spirit as well as an overall winner. The winners chosen were as follows:
Other winners included at the Trade Fair included:
- Best Display Stand Group 1: Sweet Dreams, Milstreet Community School
- Best Display Stand Group 2: Positivity is Key, Colaiste Mhuire Buttevant
- Best Sales Technique Group 1: Spy Stop, Davis College Mallow
- Best Sales Technique Group 2: Crann Nollaig, Colasite Mhuire Buttevant
- Most Innovation Group 1: Yo Sounds, David College Mallow
- Most Innovation Group 2: Handy Bandy, St Mary’s Mallow
- Best Team Spirit Group 1: Winter Wonderland, Colaisite Chraoibhin Fermoy
- Best Team Spirit Group 2: Candy Co., Colaiste Nagle Rice, Doneraile
- Best Interview Group 1: Sweeten Up Santa, Colaiste Treasa Kanturk
- Best Interview Group 2: Blush, St. Mary’s Charleville
Speaking at the event, Head of Local Enterprise at the North Cork Local Enterprise Office, Kevin Curran, thanked all the teachers for the support they provide to their students and said ‘Looking around at the group of inspirational and business focused young people here today, there is no doubt that the future of entrepreneurship in Ireland looks very bright indeed’.
Judges at the event included:
- Jarlath White, JW Garden Design
- Helen O’Sullivan,
- Mike Knightson, KM Financial
- Donal Murphy, Donluoco
- Noreen Walsh, AIB
The Student Enterprise Programme is a national initiative that instils entrepreneurial skills in young people and the showcase gave the students experience at putting together a presentation stand, pitching to judges and honing their sales skills. For more information regarding this initiative, visit www.studententerprise.ie. The next leg of the North Cork Local Enterprise Office Schools Programme Competition takes place in March 2017 – the Regional Final.
