Wicklow Student Enterprise final
HUNDREDS of enterprising students from secondary schools across Wicklow are making final preparations for the annual Wicklow Student Enterprise Programme County Final, taking place on Thursday, March 26.
Organised by the Wicklow Local Enterprise Office, over 1,100 students from secondary schools have been taking part in the programme since last September. Representatives from these local schools will now take part in March’s County Final in Clermont Campus, Rathnew, where they will compete for a host of prizes.
This event is the culmination of months of hard work for these students, who will showcase their enterprises, filling 45 exhibition stands and taking part in the eventful day. The students will meet a number of successful and experienced entrepreneurs who have been invited to the event and the students will have the opportunity to share the stories of their entrepreneurial journeys with them.
The day will come to a close with an awards ceremony in the afternoon to announce the winners in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories. These students will go on to represent Wicklow at the National Finals, which will take place in Croke Park on May 1.
It is coordinated locally by the Local Enterprise Office Wicklow. Head of Enterprise, Vibeke Delahunt said: ‘This programme enables students to explore the world of business, starting in the classroom. The Standard of entries in Wicklow is extremely high, which is a credit to students and teachers in schools across the county.’
Wicklow has had great success at national level over the years – Ciara Whooley from St David’s Secondary School in Greystones won the Senior Category in 2012 with her enterprise ‘Irish Baubles’. Luke Byrne, a transition year student at Colaiste Craobh Amhann in Kilcoole, won the senior category with his enterprise ‘Headphone Helpers’ in 2016 and Cillian Scott from Colaiste Chill Mhantain took the top prize in the Intermediate Category with his business ‘Scott Engine Tables’ in 2017.
Wicklow’s Student Enterprise Programme is part of the National Student Enterprise Programme, which sees over students compete annually.