Local Enterprise Office Sligo have announced that teenage entrepreneurs from Corran College, Coláiste Iascaigh and Coláiste Muire will represent Sligo at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Final on Thursday 9th May.
Sligo Students Set For National Entrepreneurship Final
Senior Category Overall WinnerBack Row L-R: Liam Kiely, A/Head of Enterprise, Leas-Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Tom Fox, Stephen Walshe A/Senior Enterprise Development Officer, and Teacher Siobhan O’Donnell.
Front Row L-R: Ruadhán Sheerin, Luke Ryan, Joshua McGill and Sean Sweeney (Coláiste Muire)
The students all took part in the Sligo County Final on 13th March, which was held at the Sligo Park Hotel. An estimated 820 students from all 13 second-level schools in Co. Sligo 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 28,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part in 2022 / 2023. The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Final.
In the Junior Category, the students representing Sligo at the National Final are: Shane Waters, Ryan Sweeney and Peadar Langton from ‘Mad Yokes’ at Corran College.
In the Intermediate Category, Cathal Finnerty from ‘Mean Beanz’’ at Coláiste Iascaigh will be representing the county at the Final.
In the Senior Category of the competition, Sligo will be represented on May 9th by Sean Sweeney, Ruadhan Sheerin, Josh McGill and Luke Ryan from ‘Makescents T.Y’. of Coláiste Muire.
In the “My Entrepreneurial Journey” category open to junior and intermediate students, Timon Schaupp in the Junior Category and Cathal Finnerty in the Senior Category, both from Coláiste Iascaigh, will represent Sligo in the National Final.
Junior Category Overall Winner
Back Row L-R: Liam Kiely, A/Head of Enterprise, Leas-Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Tom Fox and Carmel Shannon (Teacher).
Front Row L-R: Peadar Langton, Ryan Sweeney, Shane Waters (Corran College)
Intermediate Category Overall Winner
L-R: Liam Kiely, A/Head of Enterprise, Leas-Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Tom Fox, Cathal Finnerty (Coláiste Iascaigh) and Ciara Moran (Teacher).
My Entrepreneurial Journey Junior Winner
L-R: Liam Kiely, A/Head of Enterprise, Leas-Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Tom Fox, Timon Schaupp (Coláiste Iascaigh) with Ciara Moran (Teacher)
My Entrepreneurial Journey Intermediate Winner
L-R: Liam Kiely, A/Head of Enterprise, Leas-Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Tom Fox, Cathal Finnerty (Coláiste Iascaigh) with Ciara Moran (Teacher)
Special guests at the Sligo County Final included Leas-Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, Cllr. Tom Fox, and A/Head of Enterprise with LEO Sligo, Liam Kiely.
Guest Speaker at the event, Leas-Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, Cllr. Tom Fox said:
‘it is heartening to see such a display of entrepreneurial spirit by the youth of County Sligo. The level of ingenuity, confidence and enterprise on display here today makes me feel excited for the business future of our great County’.
Speaking at the county final, Liam Kiely, A/Head of Enterprise of Local Enterprise Office Sligo congratulated the students, saying:
“We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Sligo, with over 800 students from all 13 second-level schools in the county taking part this year. Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the very best of luck on the 9th May, and we will all hope to be there to support them. What our 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 team-work, will help them become more entrepreneurial throughout their future careers”.
The local students will be competing against hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland at the Student Enterprise Programme National Final, taking place in the Mullingar Park Hotel on the 9th May.
Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 380,000 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 2023 / 2024 at www.StudentEnterprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.
Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.