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THE Minister for Employment and Small Business recently paid a visit to the school of 2016 National Student Enterprise Award winner, Luke Byrne.
During his visit to Coláiste Chraobh Abhann in Kilcoole, Minister Pat Breen launched new teacher resources that will support over 20,000 secondary school students taking part in this year’s Student Enterprise Programme.
He also met fifth year student Luke Byrne (17), who won the senior category at the national awards earlier this year with his innovative ‘Headphone Helpers’, a silicone band with loops that is worn around the neck and keeps earphones tangle-free.
He is currently selling an average of 20 units per week through is website and is currently negotiating a deal with a major Irish retailer which, if successful, could see sales jump from 20 to 1,000 per week.
Minister Breen also met other enterprising students who are either competing in this year’s programme or who have previously won awards for their enterprises.
He was welcomed to the school by Principal Shane Eivers, Business Co- Ordinator Ruairí Farrell, members of the Board of Management, representatives from the Local Enterprise Office (LEO), the Local Authorities Network and Enterprise Ireland.
Describing how important enterprise in the classroom has become in recent years, principal Shane Eivers said: ‘ The challenge of producing the next generation’s entrepreneurs is being met by a vibrant and dynamic business department and a cohort of enthusiastic students. Students are being afforded great opportunities to express their creativity, tenacity and determination while getting real life experience of establishing and running a business.’
Launching the new teacher resources for the Student Enterprise Programme, Minister Breen described entrepreneurship as ‘ the backbone of our economy’ and said it was extremely important to ‘embed this culture at an early age’.
‘ This programme, and the new resources that are being launched today, ensures that entrepreneurship becomes a natural option for our young people as they discover their passions. We want to nurture Ireland’s future entrepreneurs and business leaders,’ he said.
The programme is run by the 31 LEOs and, last year, saw students from 620 schools take part.
Sheelagh Daly from LEO Wicklow said the success of the programme lay in the fact that it ‘ brings the world of enterprise and education together at grassroots level.’