Speaking on the ethos that the Enterprise Boards have on nurturing entrepreneurship at an early age, Sean O’Sullivan from South Cork Enterprise Board stated,
“It is important, now more than ever, to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in our young people. The promotion of entrepreneurship as a career choice is a vital element of the work of the CEB’s, and the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme contributes to this by promoting enterprise awareness and an enterprise culture among our young people. The Boards participate in the Senior Category of the Programme and this Category is for fourth year secondary school students. If a school does not have a fourth year, fifth years can also partake in the Programme.”
Cork Enterprise Month saw the students compete against each other in the regional finals of the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme at various locations in the County and City. The winners of these regional heats will go on to represent their local Enterprise Board and their school at the national Student Enterprise Finals in Dublin this April.
In North Cork, the Regional Finals took place on 1st March in the Mallow GAA Complex where students from Davis College, Mallow walked away with the top prize. The winning team’s business idea is called “On Hold” – an innovative holder for charging your mobile phone. The students took their product right from the concept stage straight through to sales and marketing as part of running their student enterprise over the course of the academic year.
Transition Year students from Mount Saint Michael Secondary School, Rosscarbery were winners of the West Cork School’s Enterprise Programme on Tuesday 8th March. Their innovative concept “Fashion Formula” has resulted in the Transition Year students producing their very own documentary DVD on setting up and running a successful Fashion Show. The DVD entitled “Brighten up your Day” which will aid schools, clubs and charities raise money for their own chosen causes will retail in over 300 Centra stores nationwide. Proceeds of each DVD will go to The Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Also taking place on 8th March was the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme Competition, which took place in CIT as part of their annual Innovation Day. Students from Ballincollig Community School and St. Angela’s School scooped the top prizes at the Regional Finals.
The winning team in the Cork City Category was “Mini Marketeers” from St. Angela’s. The students produced special student ID cards that enable students to avail of discounts in retail outlets throughout Cork City and County.
The winning team in the South Cork Category was “Mint Web Design” from Ballincollig Community School. The students established a web design company offering simple, effective and affordable website packages to local businesses and organisations.
This year marks the 9th anniversary of the highly successful Cork County and City Enterprise Boards CIT Prize for Innovation Competition. The competition was held on 8th and 9th March.
The CIT Prize for Innovation is a competition that awards cash prizes to those whose inventions and business ideas are judged most creative, novel, innovative, and likely to succeed in the marketplace.
First prize, the coveted title of Cork Institute of Technology Entrepreneur of the Year 2011, and a cash prize of €4,000 were awarded to Myles Murray of PMD Solutions, a student of CIT’s
Department of Mechanical Engineering. His innovative project, 'Breath Counter: The Patient Friendly Respiratory Rate Monitor' was adjudicated by CIT Entrepreneur in Residence, Kieran Moynihan.
Eamon Hayes was awarded the “Most Technically Innovative” with a prize of €2,000. His project, SafetyFirst, a cover system that can be retrofitted to any wire rope barrier system, will, while retaining all the positive features, remove the ‘cheese cutter’ effect.
Cork Enterprise Month, which has been running throughout March, was organised to highlight and celebrate the comprehensive range of Cork County & City Enterprise Board (CEB’s) initiatives in Cork which promote and encourage entrepreneurship and innovation. For further information on all upcoming events and activities taking place in association with the CEBs, visit www.corkenterpriseboards.ie or contact your local Enterprise Board.
Cork 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.
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PARTCIPATING SCHOOLS
West Cork Enterprise Board
• 1st prize: "Fashion Formula", Mount St. Michael Secondary School, Rosscarbery
• Joint 2nd Prize: "Jigsaw Soaps", Clonakilty Community College & "E-lite", Ardscoil Phobal, Bantry
• 3rd Prize: "Flutter By" Schull Community School, Schull
North Cork Enterprise Board
• Best display stand: Next Generation Designs, Millstreet Community School
• Best Marketing: Athena, Loreto School Fermoy
• Best Interview: Page Turners, St. Mary’s School Charleville
• Best Business Report: Smooch, Boherbue Comprehensive School
South Cork Enterprise Board
• Best display stand Kindle Company, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Blarney
• Best innovation Project Bird, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Blarney
• Best Marketing Drizone, Colaiste Mhuire, Crosshaven
• Best Business Report &
Best Business Presentation Nebula, Ballincollig Community School
Cork City Enterprise Board
• Best display stand Cozy Cups, St. Vincent’s Secondary School
• Best innovation Mini-Marketeers, St. Angela’s School
• Best Marketing Party Eyes, St. Vincent’s Secondary School
• Best Business Report Knit Knacks, Regina Mundi College