Limerick students have been asked to put their thinking caps on and come up with business ideas for this year’s Student Enterprise Programme. The Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Michael Sheahan, has launched the Limerick Student Enterprise Programme 2019/2020 on behalf of the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Limerick.
The Student Enterprise Programme is an educational and fun-packed initiative that teaches second level students what it is really like to be an entrepreneur, and set up and run their own business over the course of the school year.
Co-ordinated by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities across the country, the Student Enterprise Programme is now in its 18th year.
The Mayor was joined by students from Ardscoil Mhuire, Corbally, Desmond College, Newcastle West and Castletroy College, Castletroy, to mark the launch of this year’s Programme.
More than 20 Limerick schools are expected to participate in the programme with more than 1,000 students under the age of 18 taking part.
Nationally, approximately 26,000 second level students from all over Ireland take part in the Student Enterprise Programme and gain real life experience about what it is like to be their own boss and how to run a business, thereby gaining invaluable experience about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship along the way!
The Programme compliments the business studies curriculum at both junior and senior level and is a rewarding experience for students, giving them the freedom to develop their business concepts to the fullest. Students can enter either individually or as part of a team.
Mayor Michael Sheahan said: “I’m delighted to mark the start of the academic year with the launch of this great programme. I wish all the students participating in the programme every success with their business ideas and I look forward to seeing the fruits of your work at the Limerick Finals exhibition in March.”
The grand final will be held in the Great National South Court Hotel, Raheen on 25 March 2020.
The programme is a Local Enterprise Office initiative, and Mary Killeen Fitzgerald, Acting Head of Enterprise with LEO Limerick said: “This programme plays a very important role in developing the students’ business skills, and helps foster a strong entrepreneurial culture in the participating students. We hope to see these students as clients of the Local Enterprise Office, launching new businesses in the near future”.
Garry Lowe of Whizzkids Training, who co-ordinates the programme on behalf of LEO Limerick, and supports the students on their journey throughout the programme said “I am really looking forward to going into the schools in Limerick again this year and working with the students on their ideas. Over the coming months I will be delivering workshops on areas such as idea generation, market research, product development, branding, sales, advertising, presentation skills etc as the students’ progress through the process of starting their own business”.
For more information visit studententerprise.ie.
Funding for the programme is provided by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.