Enterprise Education

Encouraging and promoting an enterprise culture has been an important area of activity for the former City and County Enterprise boards and will continue now that Local Enterprise Offices are in place.  In seeking to develop a thriving enterprise culture, it is critical that young people from all backgrounds see enterprise as a viable career choice.  Entrepreneurial qualities and mindset need to be fostered from an early stage.  If we are serious about developing an entrepreneurial ethos we must start with our school-children and young people.  We must listen to their ideas and actively support their innovations, as these can be the secret to the business successes of tomorrow.  Our young people need to be open to the idea of creating a new job rather than looking for one.  For all of these reasons the County and City Enterprise Boards have strategically focused much of their previous endeavours in the field of entrepreneurship development on the education sector.  Through various programmes and initiatives they have sought to influence student attitudes in favour of enterprise.  It is to be hoped that the proportion of young people who are prepared to “have a go” at founding their own business can be increased.

Limerick LEO will continue to reinforce entrepreneurship in the education system as a critical element in the future development of small business in Ireland.  A number of initiatives are run by the CEBs at both primary and secondary level with the flagship programme the Student Enterprise Awards.

Student Enterprise Awards

The Student Enterprise Awards is the flagship enterprise programme at second level with 16,000 students form all areas of the country involved each year.   This is a practical programme that offers students the opportunity to take a business from idea stage, through market research to production, selling, record keeping, management and finally writing a comprehensive report on the business.   Participation in the Student Enterprise Awards enables students to acquire and develop a wide range of personal and business attributes and skills.

Enterprise Boards have endeavoured to bring the “business experience” developed with the Second Level Support Service (SLSS) of the Department of Education and Science into schools to compliment the academic skills of the teaching profession.  Boards have developed a range of resource materials to facilitate and enhance enterprise education.

Visit the Student Enterprise Awards website www.studententerprise.ie