Business Boot-Camp for second level students

The Mayo Local Enterprise Office, in conjunction with Moy Valley Resources IRD and Junior Chambers Ireland, Mayo, ran their fourth successful Business Boot-Camp for second level students between the ages of 13 and 17 in Ballina, week commencing 25th July 2016. The Business Boot Camp is an initiative of the Mayo Local Enterprise Office aimed at developing a wide range of personal and business attributes and skills among young people interested in business in Mayo.  

The four day boot-camp was hosted and delivered by Moy Valley Resources.  Local students from a number of secondary schools across the county began their boot-camp experience by designing a campaign and merchandise to fight cyberbullying, a very real and current issue faced by many young adults in schools today.

Following their introduction to the world of business, the students were introduced to three business owners who set a real-world, business planning project for each group. Leon Tunney-Ware from Westport Adventure Centre, Oliver Murphy from Oliver’s Menswear Ballina and Nicola Flynn from  Mayo North Promotions Office all assigned project work to the individual groups. This culminated on the final day of the boot camp, with the delivery comprehensive power-point presentations and marketing plans to the business owners, Mayo LEO staff, Moy Valley Resources staff and JCI representatives.

John Magee of the Local Enterprise Office Mayo said: “The LEO Mayo in partnership with Moy Valley Resources runs a very successful and popular Student Business Bootcamp here locally. The Student Business Bootcamp gives local teenagers a taste of what it’s like to run their own business and to be their own boss. It also helps them develop important entrepreneurship skills, learning about sales, innovation, managing finances and finding new markets. Learning the fundamentals of running a business now, will help them throughout their studies and career.”

Billy Lewis, CEO of Moy Valley Resources IRD, said “it is not uncommon to hear that our real wealth is in our youth and so we see that developing through initiatives like the “boot camp” for young enterprise. The attitude and aptitude shown by the students in the recent boot camp run by Moy Valley on behalf of the Junior Chamber of Ireland and funded by Mayo LEO was something to be admired. The way they applied themselves to their projects, the teamwork, their research and their presentation skills was exemplary. They are a credit to their parents, their schools but most of all to themselves. We in Moy Valley are very pleased to be part of such an important project, these students not only test us but question us and in doing so make us to “think outside the box”. They are not afraid to look at things differently and are prepared to look at problems as possible opportunities in the future. Well done to all and a great week”

Moy Valley Resources IRD staff delivered workshops and mentored the students over the four days. Students gained a valuable insight into the level of work necessary to successfully start their own business and the skills and activities that are essential to succeed, with emphasis on the importance of good management. The practical, hands-on nature of the programme ensures that young entrepreneurs are encouraged and supported as they learn new skills which can then be used to establish small businesses in the County.
The overall winners “The Finding Five” company worked on the project from Westport Adventure Centre.

The boot-camp was sponsored by The Mayo Local Enterprise Office.