The Next Generation of South Cork Entrepreneurs Accelerate Their Way to Business Success

A new generation of entrepreneurs are in the making as this year’s South Cork Student Enterprise Programme was launched at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Little Island on Monday October 3rd. The packed event was attended by over three hundred students who are about to launch their business ideas as part of the National Student Enterprise Programme.

This year the emphasis is on innovation and enterprise and the event was hosted by Ciara McGee of South Cork Local Enterprise Office and facilitated by Bernadette Clancy and Dermot O’Reilly of Solutions Consultancy Ireland, who guided the participants throughout the process, using the most current techniques in start up design thinking, employed by the world’s most successful brands.

The race is on to find Ireland’s future Steve Jobs or Elon Musk, as the students will put their business ideas through their paces. Following regional finals next year, one team will be picked to represent South Cork at the national finals in Dublin. “It’s not about winning a competition” Bernadette Clancy is quick to point out, “it’s about a learning process, that we hope will stay with these young people, throughout their lives, opening up the option of becoming fully fledged entrepreneurs.”

The Student Enterprise Programme, runs for the duration of the school year and includes regional and national award opportunities, aims to drive entrepreneurship among our talented young people, and combines classroom business studies learning with real life experience of commercial activities.  We have seen firsthand how this tailored programme enhances creativity, improves communication skills, builds confidence and fosters an enterprise culture among our second level students in Cork.  

The Student Enterprise Programme is open to junior, intermediate and senior cycles and there is still an opportunity to take part. For further information please contact Local Enterprise Office South Cork on 021 4975 281.