Student Enterprise Awards 12th March 2015

Fingal’s Student Entrepreneurs Countdown to County Final €15,000 prize fund

Fingal Student Enterprise Award Entrepreneurs 2015

Enterprising students from primary and secondary schools across Fingal are making final preparations for the annual Fingal Student Enterprise Awards, taking place on Thursday, March 12th.

Organised by the Local Enterprise Office Fingal, over 2,000 students from 31 local primary and secondary schools have been taking part in the programme since last September, making it the biggest programme of its kind in the country. Representatives from these local schools will now compete in March’s County Final at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown, for a share of the €15,000 prize fund.

The Fingal Student Enterprise Programme, which is an initiative of the Local Enterprise Office and Fingal Fingal County Council, is supported by the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB). It stimulates the creation of real-life businesses in primary and secondary schools, by encouraging students to research and manage their own business, with the support from local business mentors.

Announcing the details for this year’s County Final, Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Fingal, said: “The Student Enterprise Awards programme in Fingal is the largest and most successful programme in the country with record numbers of students, from primary and secondary schools across the region setting up and running their own businesses.” Fingal’s Student Enterprise Programme is part of the National Student Enterprise Awards competition, which annually sees over 17,000 students compete on the national stage. Category winners from the Fingal County Finals will advance to the National Final, to be held in Croke Park in April.   Geoghegan added: “With the support of the schools, the local business community, sponsors and Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board, Fingal students are gaining invaluable experience in the world of business. The lessons they learn on this programme will help them become the entrepreneurs and business leaders of tomorrow.”  

Paul Reid, the Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, will be announcing the winners of the intermediate category and Councillor Mags Murray, Mayor of Fingal, will present the senior category prizes this year, which includes an educational trip to Barcelona, as El Prat in Barcelona is twinned with Fingal. The category winners and runners-up will all receive Blanchardstown Centre gift vouchers, glass trophies and certificates. Broadcaster Rick O’ Shea of RTÉ 2FM will host the awards ceremony in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, with the Enterprising School Spirit Award winners at primary and secondary level receiving laptop computers from the DDLETB, which is also sponsoring the DDLETB Enterprise Award.

Last year’s category winners were ‘Jeet Argan’ from Donabate Community College (junior category), the ‘Boot Drying Box’, from St.Vincent’s in Castleknock (intermediate category), and ‘LAPS – The Board Game’ from Skerries Community College (senior category).

Prizes on the day also include vouchers from the Blanchardstown Centre in Dublin 15, One4All Gift Vouchers in Swords, Xtreme.ie in Balbriggan and Simtech Aviation in St. Margaret’s.

More information about the Fingal Student Enterprise Programme is available by visiting www.studententerprise.ie and https://www.facebook.com/FingalStudentEnterpriseAwards

FINGAL STUDENT ENTERPRISE AWARDS Participating Schools 2014/2015:

Participating Secondary Schools (23):

Balbriggan Community College

Blakestown Community School

Castleknock Community College

Coláiste Choilm CBS, Swords

Coláiste Pobal Setanta, Ongar

Coolmine Community School

Fingal Community College, Swords

Hartstown Secondary School, Clonsilla

Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School, Ongar

Loreto College, Swords

Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan

Lusk Community College

Luttrellstown Community College

Malahide Community School

Mount Sackville Secondary School, Chapelizod

Portmarnock Community School

Santa Sabina Dominican College, Sutton

Skerries Community College

St. Fintan's High School, Sutton

St. Joseph's Secondary School, Rush

St. Mary's Secondary School, Baldoyle

St. Vincent’s Castleknock College

Sutton Park School

Participating Primary Schools (8):

Balbriggan Educate Together

Castaheany Educate Together

Scoil Réalt Na Mara, Skerries

Scoil Cholim, Carpenterstown

Scoil Phádraic Cailíní, Donabate

St. Cronan's Senior National School

St. Teresa's Primary School, Balbriggan

Tyrrelstown Educate Together

Arrangements for the Fingal Student Enterprise Awards 2015: Thursday, March 12th 2015 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown

An initiative of Local Enterprise Office Fingal

Timing:

09.00am – 12.30pm: Participant Interviews with the Judging Panel

1.30pm (sharp) – 2.30pm: Announcement of Winners & Presentation of Awards (Heather Suite, first floor)

Good Luck Everybody !