About 22,000 secondary school students from across Ireland are planning to set up their own businesses through the Student Enterprise Programme.
This is the largest ever enterprise education initiative to take place in Ireland with a total of 620 secondary schools taking part.
750 students from 16 schools in South Dublin are among the participants.
Last May, 16-year-old Cillian Scott, a fifth-year student from Coláiste Chill Mhantáin, won the Intermediate Category at the National Student Enterprise Awards for 2016/2017.
His enterprise was called Scott Engine Tables, a company which transformed car, truck and tank engines into furniture.
#StudentEnterprise #LEOwicklow pic.twitter.com/W1jd3qmjlV
— Scott Engine Tables (@ScottEngineTabl) May 3, 2017
Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen, launched the 2017/2018 Student Enterprise Programme, at Coláiste Chill Mhantáin in Wicklow.
He said:
“Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, more than 150,000 students have benefitted and we want to keep nurturing Ireland’s future entrepreneurs and business leaders in the years to come.
“Entrepreneurship is the backbone of the Irish economy and initiatives such as the Student Enterprise Programme are key to fostering a more enterprising culture.”
The 2017/2018 National Final for the Student Enterprise Awards takes place on May 2nd, 2018 in Dublin’s Croke Park.
Last year, the Junior Category winner for the 2016/2017 National Final was Blathnaid Murphy of Our Lady’s Secondary School in Louth. She was awarded for her Daisy’s Pawesome Bowties.
The Senior Category was won by Carl Cullen, Ross Byrne and Cormac Spain of ROC Protection from Clonkeen College in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.
Thanks again to @RTELateLateShow @rte for having us on again last night! Absolute pleasure #studententerprise #ROCProtection pic.twitter.com/L8hGmBLAGY
— ROC Protection (@ROCProtection) May 6, 2017
