Schools Enterprise Success for North Cork

TWO awards in the nationals schools enterprise programme finals have been hailed as a major success for north Cork.

At last week’s awards ceremony, two canny mini-businesses scooped awards for schools in Mallow and Buttevant. In the senior category of the competition, students from Colaiste Mhuire in Buttevant received third place with their sell-out enterprise ‘Fowl Play’ which saw them buying, rearing and selling 14 organic turkeys for last Christmas.

In the Intermediate category, Patrician Academy, Mallow, students Chris Ho and Thomas Hunt, won second prize with their project, ‘Mangoes’ an illustrated childrens book.

Supported by Cork North Enterprise Board, these were the only awards to be won by Cork schools this year.

“The Board are delighted with the success — it reflects the huge amount of work put in by students and teachers to the Schools Enterprise Programme this year,” said a delighted enterprise board chairman Michael Hanley. “The overall response from North Cork this year is very encouraging and shows the high regard that the participating schools have for the programme and its objectives.”
He said the Schools Enterprise Programme is an extremely valuable experience for those participating. “It gives a real taste of enterprise to students at a formative age when they begin to look at options for future careers,” he said. “While the option of starting one’s own business might not be feasible in the early years after leaving school and college, it can often come into play at a later date and is often fuelled by the early experience of Schools Enterprise.”

The programme, Mr Hanley added, provides a real business experience  and students get the full range of challenges experienced in running a small business and, quite often, the rewards in terms of profits achieved.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe, together with one of Ireland’s best-known entrepreneurs, Bill Cullen, were both clearly impressed with the standard of enterprise at this year’s national final.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Minister O’Keeffe said that, with nearly 15,000 students now involved in the Student Enterprise Programme nationally, it is apparent that the spirit of enterprise has been well fostered in Irish classrooms.

“Thanks to the support of teachers, parents, principals and the local county and city enterprise boards, our student entrepreneurs here at the national final are great ambassadors for the overall Student Enterprise Programme,” he added.

Since last September, 14,940 secondary school students from 400 schools have been researching, setting-up and managing their own real-life student enterprises.

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