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Cork County Council’s Local Enterprise Office South Cork has announced that teenage entrepreneurs from Coláiste Muire, Cobh will represent South Cork at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals on Friday 5th May. The finals make a return to Croke Park for the first time since 2019.
The students all took part in the South Cork Final on the 14th of March, which was held at Cork County Hall. An estimated 150 students from 15 schools took part in the annual programme locally.
The enterprise education initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country, saw over 25,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part in 2021 / 2022. The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Finals.
In the Junior Category, the students representing South Cork at the National Finals are Helena Pietruczuk from ‘The Yarn Yeti’ at Coláiste Muire – Realt na Mara.
In the Intermediate Category, Penny Keohane, Ellen Mc Donagh and Liam Kelleher from ‘Reduce Reuse Remember’ Coláiste Muire – Realt na Mara will be representing the county at the finals.
In the Senior Category of the competition, South Cork will be represented on May 5th by Ben Hamilton, Billy Murphy, Callum Gormley Barrett and Adam O’ Leary from ‘Colaiste Muire Student IDs’ at Coláiste Muire, Cobh.
In the “My Entrepreneurial Journey” category, South Cork winners were in the Junior category, ‘Oopsie Daisy’ by Emily O’Regan and in the Intermediate category ‘Precious Pieces’ by Charlotte Fleming, both from Coláiste Muire – Realt na Mara
Congratulating the students that participated, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins said:
“In what has been a particularly challenging couple of years for students the programme has offered students an outlet outside of the usual school demands. What students are learning from the programme is that with the right supports and encouragement, they can take an idea from the classroom and develop it into a real-life business. The skills they learn along the way, such as business planning, market research, selling and teamwork, will help them become more entrepreneurial throughout their future careers”.
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey added:
“Over 400 students from 15 local schools have taken part in the student enterprise programme in South Cork this year. Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the very best of luck as they go forward to compete against hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland at the National Finals on May 5th.”
Further information on the Student Enterprise Programme is available at www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.
Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 350,000 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 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.
The Student Enterprise Programme is co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices and involves approximately 25,000 students from 500 secondary schools every year. It runs from September to May and the 2022/2023 National Final takes place on the 5th of May.
Names of participating schools in Student Enterprise Programme
- St Peter’s Community College, Passage West
- Coláiste Muire, Cobh
- Carrigtwohill Community College
- Millstreet Community School
- St Mary’s Secondary School, Macroom
- Coláiste Muire – Realt na Mara
- Carrigaline Community School
- Midleton College
- Edmund Rice College Carrigaline
- McEgan College
- St Aloysius College
- Scoil Mhuire, Ballingeary
- Coláiste An Chroí Naofa
- De La Salle College
- Coláiste Ghobnatan, Ballyvourney
Winning Enterprises
| Category | Business Name | School Name | Student Names |
| Senior | Colaiste Muire Student IDs | Coláiste Muire, Cobh | Ben Hamilton Billy Murphy Callum Gormley Barrett Adam O’ Leary |
| Intermediate | Reduce Reuse Remember | Coláiste Muire – Realt na Mara | Penny Keohane Ellen Mc Donagh Liam Kelleher |
| Junior | The Yarn Yeti | Coláiste Muire – Realt na Mara | Helena Pietruczuk |
| My Entrepreneurial Journey – Intermediate | Precious Pieces | Coláiste Muire – Realt na Mara | Charlotte Fleming |
| My Entrepreneurial Journey – Junior | Oopsie Daisy | Coláiste Muire – Realt na Mara | Emily O’Regan |
Website: www.studententerprise.ie / #studententerprise / Twitter: @StudentEntProg / Facebook: /studententerpriseprogramme / Instagram: /studententerpriseprogramme