Participating schools included: Mount St Michael, Rosscarbery; Rossa College and Mercy Heights Skibbereen; Bandon Grammar School; Schull Community College; Beara Community School; Ardscoil Phobal Bantry; Maria Immaculata Secondary School Dunmanway and Clonakilty Community College.
Students were welcomed by Michael Hanley, CEO of the West Cork Enterprise Board and addressed by a diverse line-up of speakers such as Simon Dennehy, owner of Perch (designer of innovative products that promote better health and posture for students through ergonomic desk and chair design) Jackie Gowran, business coach, Isabelle O’ Donovan, owner of Issie’s Handmade Chocolates, Conor Buckley, CEO of award winning Granite Consulting and West Cork man John Kearney, serial entrepreneur and motivational speaker who has undertaken many challenges including swimming the English Channel in 2007.
Each speaker brought a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed in today’s challenging economic climate and provided students with the inspiration and motivation necessary to achieve their full potential.
The Schools Enterprise programme has been in existence since 2004 with schools from West Cork gaining national recognition for their projects in the past. Throughout the programme, students are exposed to all the realities and challenges faced by entrepreneurs in every stage of business development from market research and production to sales and marketing.
Speaking of the event, Christine Heffernan, West Cork Enterprise Board said “Events such as this bring students in to the real world where they are shown what real business people are doing to create a better future for themselves and others. Often, it is easy for students to ignore what is happening outside the school walls so today is really a practical experience for them to learn more about setting up a business. The main objective for us is to give these students the invaluable experience of setting up their own enterprise in the hopes that one day they will set up businesses in West Cork and create employment”.
Also speaking of the event, Christine Duggan, Schools Programme Co-Ordinator for West Cork said “Today is about motivating the students to realise that there are vast options for them in their future careers. The enterprise programme is the first time in their school lives that they are given control of setting up something which they will own and run and this is extremely important for them to develop vital practical business skills which they would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience. Today was also about motivating the teachers as they play such an important role in encouraging their students to be innovative and motivated in making informed decisions about their future careers".
Each school will compete with their mini enterprises in the West Cork Schools Enterprise finals next March where one team will be chosen to represent the West Cork Enterprise Board and their school at the National Finals in Dublin in May 2011
LINK TO PHOTOS TAKEN AT THE EVENT
Note to Editor:
The Cork Schools Enterprise Programme, an initiative developed by the Cork County and City Enterprise Boards aims to educate students in the practicalities of setting-up and running a business with a view to nurturing the entrepreneurs of the future. The West Cork Enterprise Board funds and manages the West Cork Schools Enterprise Programme each year which allows 4th and some 5th year secondary school students partake in the West Cork Programme at Senior Level. County & City Enterprise Boards are Funded under Ireland's EU Structural Funds Programme 2007-2013 with funding from the Exchequer and the European Regional Development Fund.