KILDARE SCHOOLS ENCOURAGED TO SIGN UP FOR IRELAND’S LARGEST ENTERPRISE PROGRAMME
Secondary Schools across County Kildare are being encouraged to sign up for this year’s Student Enterprise Programme. An initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices, the country’s largest enterprise programme for second level students begins its 21st year and over 300,000 students have taken part since it began.
Every year around 25,000 students take part from almost 500 schools all across the country, competing in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories. Participants learn how to create and run their own business, picking up key skills along the way such as ideation, marketing, finance and sales and it’s open to all secondary schools. Recent ambassadors for the programme have included Derval O’Rourke, Josh Van Der Flier and Limerick All-Ireland winner Sean Finn.
The programme is run through the network of Local Enterprise Offices, supported by Enterprise Ireland and the local authorities, with local coordinators in every area to support teachers and students through the year of the programme, which helps foster entrepreneurship in students and gives them key skills they can bring with them into later life. The programme is open to all secondary school students from 1st year through to 6th year.
Kildare has a strong track record in the Student Enterprise Programme, with Students from St.Mary’s College in Naas winning an award at the National Finals in Croke Park in 2019 and Kilcock students winning a National Award at the Final in 2018.
Sonya Kavanagh, Chief Executive of Kildare County Council said; “The aim of the Student Enterprise Programme is to instil a little bit of entrepreneurial spirit in every student that takes part. Kildare County Council’s Local Enterprise Office works closely with schools around Kildare to help spark ideas but also to keep a focus on what make sales.”
She continued “The skills students gain are invaluable and to see the amazing ideas, year on year, many of which go on to become viable businesses, is inspirational not only to fellow students but to anyone involved in business and entrepreneurship.”
Kildare county finalists last year were students Mairéad Kehoe, Saoirse Povey & Sarah Girvan-Hendy of St. Wolstan's Community School, Celbridge with their mini company Horseshoes 4 U.
The overall winners at the National Final were Barrelda from Meath in the Senior Category with their business recycling poly drums from the farm for use as meal troughs and calf teat feeders.
Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 300,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business. The Student Enterprise Programme also has a new range of online resources for 2022/2023 at www.StudentEnterprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.
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Image: Kildare County Final Winners, St. Wolstan's Community School, Celbridge with their mini company Horseshoes 4 U Students: Mairéad Kehoe, Saoirse Povey & Sarah Girvan-Hendy
