11 teenage entrepreneurs from 3 local secondary schools are on their way to Croke Park in May to represent the county and their Local Enterprise Office at the 15^th Annual National Final of the Student Enterprise Programme.

Every September, budding secondary school entrepreneurs set-up and run their own enterprises, learning about the world of business with help from their teachers and Local Enterprise Office.

The students were all competing at the Kilkenny county Final on 29th March 2017 which was held at the Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny. An estimated 120 students from 38 county schools took part in the annual programme locally.

In the Junior Category, the students representing County Kilkenny at the National Finals are: Aimee O’Brien, Ciara Treacy, Molly Dunne, Emma Cahill, and Hannah Wallace from ‘Fresh Minds’ at St. Brigids’ College, Callan. (Pictured right)

In the Intermediate Category, Kian Maher and Tomas Sebok, from TK Ceramics Ltd. at Coláiste Eamann Rís, Callan, will be representing the county in Croke Park. (Pictured left)

In the Senior Category of the competition, Kilkenny will be represented on May 3^rd by Tyler O’Callaghan, Jade Soames, Christian Neagu and Sophie Hartford Reade from ‘Seasonal Sensations’ at Kilkenny City Vocational School. (Pictured below right)

Special guests at the county final Final included Kilkenny County Councils’ Cathlaoirach Cllr. Matt Doran and Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny

Co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices in every Local Authority area, the competition is the most successful student enterprise programme of its kind in the country. Praising local schools for helping to foster student enterprise in the classroom, Fiona Deegan of the Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny said: “Building on the success of the last fifteen years, the Student Enterprise Programme is growing in popularity every year and our local schools are very committed to supporting youth entrepreneurship; Principals, teachers, boards of management and importantly, the student entrepreneurs themselves deserve huge credit for their dedication, innovation and hard work. Working in close partnership with local schools across the county, the Local Enterprise Office is helping to nurture our next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.”

The local students will be competing with hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland in Croke Park at the 15^th Annual Student Enterprise Awards National Finals on May 3^rd. Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.

The Local Enterprise Offices are co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Regional Development Fund 2014-2020.