From Musk Till Dawn

Think big. Eejits.

atest press release from Real Nation on behalf of the Local Enterprise Office Wicklow, issued on Wednesday, Sept 28th 2022…

Schools across Wicklow are being encouraged to sign up for this year’s Student Enterprise Programme.

An initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices, the country’s largest enterprise programme for second level students begins its 21st year and over 300,000 students have taken part since it began.

2016 Kilcoole winner Luke Byrne

Every year around 25,000 students take part from almost 500 schools all across the country, competing in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories. Participants learn how to create and run their own business, picking up key skills along the way – such as ideation, marketing, finance and sales – and it’s open to all secondary schools. Recent ambassadors for the programme have included Derval O’Rourke, Josh Van Der Flier and Limerick All-Ireland winner Sean Finn.

The programme is run through the network of Local Enterprise Offices, supported by Enterprise Ireland and the local authorities, with local coordinators in every area to support teachers and students through the year of the programme, which helps foster entrepreneurship in students and gives them key skills they can bring with them into later life. The programme is open to all secondary school students from 1st year through to 6th year.

Wicklow has had great success over the years with the Student Enterprise Programme. Last year, in the Senior Category of the competition, students Hannah Traynor, Isabella Ledesma, Clara Roldan, and Clara Dunne from Dominican College with their enterprise Wood On Fire represented the county at the 2022 National Final. In the Junior Category, students Quinlan Byrne, John Turley, and Sebastien Anton with their business CCA Junior Ornaments from Coláiste Chraobh Abhann represented Wicklow.

Vibeke Delahunt

Vibeke Delahunt, Head of Enterprise at Local Enterprise Office, Wicklow says, “The Student Enterprise Programme is one of our flagship training initiatives and it is key to fostering a culture of entrepreneurship for the future. We are excited at the prospect of being able to return to a full delivery of in person workshops and county final in the new year and look forward to engaging with Students and Teachers over the course of the next few months.”

Last year the winners were Barrelda from Meath in the Senior Category with their business recycling poly drums from the farm for use as meal troughs and calf teat feeders. In the Intermediate category the winner was Earrings by Aoibheann from Dublin who created a range of jewellery for people who may be sensitive or allergic to traditional jewellery metals. The Junior category was won by Sew Stylish from Kilkenny who again recycled materials to create multifunctional scrunchies for hair that could also hold personal items such as keys and lip gloss.

Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 300,000 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 a new range of online resources for 2022/2023 here, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.

Contact Amy and Sarah at the Student Enterprise Project Office for more information on leowicklowsep@realnation.ie.