Wexford help for scholarship
James Kelly with Professor Anthony Brabazon, Dean, UCD College of Business. UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School has launched the ninth year of its Aspire Scholarship Programme, with the help of James Kelly from Wexford Town, a current MBA student and one of 12 2017 Aspire scholars.
The scholarship provides graduates across the country with the opportunity to secure funding towards tuition at Ireland’s leading business school.
This year will see 50 per cent funding made available for up to nine MSc scholarships and up to three MBA scholarships for the 2018/19 academic year.
These scholarships are for applicants who have the ambition to undertake a business masters, but who may not have the financial means to do so. Applications for the programme can be made online at www. smurfitschool.ie before Friday, May 11.
The Aspire Scholarship Programme was launched in 2010 following a donation of €500,000 from an anonymous benefactor. To date 90 graduates have benefitted from the programme since its introduction, with many of these alumni having either secured roles in leading companies such as Accenture, EY, Citi, PepsiCo, AIB, Ulster Bank, Avolon, Microsoft, Intel and Google or have applied their learnings in start-up businesses of their own.
James, a current MBA student and a 2017 Aspire Scholar said that applying for the Aspire Scholarship Programme gave him the opportunity to pursue a MBA with Ireland’s top business school. ‘I was honoured to be chosen as one of the 12 recipients by the committee. The course has allowed me to broaden my skills, gain fantastic experience which will benefit me in future stages of my career and interact with a whole new global network of individuals. I am truly grateful for the experience and would recommend that any prospective student interested should apply for the Aspire programme,’ he said. A Gorey-based manufacturing business has won the County Enterprise Award for 2018.
The top prize of €2,500 went to Hugh Kenny, Owner of Coatek Ltd,, who will now represent the Local Enterprise Office Wexford at the National Enterprise Awards, which celebrates its 20th anniversary on May 24.
Coatek is a family-run business which specialises in the supply and installation of Solar/ Anti- Glare window film, Privacy, Energy Saving, Safety & UV Window Films and Privacy/ Decorative films for both commercial and residential settings nationwide. They currently employ 10 full-time staff.
Judging is taking place in April and Coatek will be competing against 30 other finalists from every local authority area for a share of the €40,000 prize fund.
The Mansion House in Dublin is the venue for awards ceremony in May and categories this year include ‘Best Export Business,’ ‘Best Start Up Business’ and ‘Innovation,’ in addition to eight regional awards.
Tom Banville, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Wexford said, ‘Coatek has already become a success story and the judges were particularly impressed by their success in the domestic market and their use of innovation and technology and have now just secured their first contract in London’.
‘As Local Enterprise Offices celebrate 20 years of the National Enterprise Awards in 2018, Wexford are proud to be represented by Coatek Ltd in this extra special year,’ he said.
The award was presented by council chairman Cllr John Hegarty.
Hugh Kenny said he wanted to thank the Local Enterprise Office for all of their assistance, his dedicated team of staff and ‘all our loyal customers many of whom have been with us since our foundation in 2004’.
‘Coatek has grown substantially over the past number of years and we have a lot of plans to expand further both in Ireland and in the UK and hopefully mainland Europe now that we have secured our first major contract in London,’