Cork students from Crosshaven and Carrigaline in enterprise finals

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) South Cork has announced that teenage entrepreneurs from Carrigaline Community School and Coláiste Muire Réalt na Mara, Crosshaven, will represent the office at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme national final on Thursday, May 7.

The students all took part in the county final last month at the Munster Technological University.

This school year the initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered Local Enterprise Offices across the country, saw more than 30,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part.

The largest student start-up programme in the country, it supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Final.

In the junior category, the students representing South Cork at the National Finals are Clodagh Concannon and Aisling O’Donoghue from Coláiste Muire Réalt na Mara with their business Sea-Sea Sauna Salts.

In the intermediate category, Maria Pietruczuk, also from Coláiste Muire Réalt na Mara, will compete in the intermediate category with her business Petal and Pearl.

South Cork will be represented in the senior category by Jake Molloy, Alex O’Driscoll, Natasha Thottakana, and Amelia Gumienny, from Carrigaline Community School, with their business Hall of Grades Trading Cards.

Special guests at the county final, Louise McCall, founder of Digital Marketing Solutions, and Ruth Hendrick, founder of Target Alert Group, inspired students by sharing their entrepreneurial journeys and hardearned insights.

The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan-Foley, said the programme continues to “demonstrate the creativity, ambition and entrepreneurial spirit of young people across our county.

“Cork County Council is proud to support initiatives that empower students to develop realworld business skills, build confidence and learn the value of innovation and enterprise from an early age,” she said.

Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, more than 500,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business, and grow a business.

The programme also has a new range of online resources at www.StudentEnterprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.

Further information around the initiative is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.