TEENS FULL OF BUSINESS IDEAS
THREE budding teenage entrepreneurs have been selected to represent County Wexford at the Student Enterprise Programme National Finals in Croke Park.
The young entrepreneurs will represent their Local Enterprise Office and their county in Croke Park on May 2.
An estimated 1,300 students from 20 participating County Wexford schools took part in the enterprise programme this year with the winners being announced at the county final in the National Opera House.
In the Junior Category, Jack Barron of Tweet This at Coláiste Abbáin, Adamstown, was chosen to represent the county. In the Intermediate category, the winning county finalist was Seán Bennett of Picture Perfect Prints at Ramsgrange Community School. In the Senior Category, Wexford will be represented by Ben Handrick from Little Elephant at Creagh College, Gorey.
The county awards were sponsored by PwC, BNY Mellon and the Environmental Proection Agency and the overall programme was delivered in association with Wexford Enterprise Centre.
The competition which is the most successful student enterprise programme of its kind in the country, is coordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices in each local authority area.
Its success in County Wexford is down to the enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit of the students.
Breege Cosgrave, senior enterprise development officer at the Wexford Local Enterprise Office, had strong praise for this year’s entrants.
‘Every year we are blown away by the ideas and the business savvy that these students have acquired at such a young age. They really are a credit to their teachers and school staff who have helped to nurture this talent.’
‘ The Student Enterprise Programme is growing in appeal every year and we hope to see many of these excellent young students coming through the door of their local LEO in the years to come,’ said Breege.
‘We wish this year’s county winners all the very best as they go on to represent their county at the national finals in Croke Park in May.’
County council chairman John Hegarty highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship to the economy of Wexford and explained that council initiatives such as the development of industrial space is an essential component of future growth.
‘Based on the calibre of the projects at this event, the future of business in Wexford is in safe hands,’ he said.
The local students will be competing with hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland at the 16th Annual Student Enterprise Awards National Finals on May 2.
The Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003 and over 150,000 students have taken part since its inception.
The Local Enterprise Offices are co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Regional Development Fund 2014–2020.