Local Enterprise Office Fingal have announced that winning teenager entrepreneurs from Loreto Balbriggan and Colaiste Pobail Setanta will represent Fingal at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals.
The winners were chosen from an estimated 1,000 students who entered from 24 schools across the locality.
The winning Fingal students will now compete against approximately 80 student enterprises from across the country for a place in the Top 15 shortlisted teams to make it to a live event on Wednesday, May 18 at The Helix in Dublin.
Students Alanna Gorman Katie Murphy and Aoife Connolly from Colaiste Pobail Setanta who won the senior category
This year’s live event will not only be a special one as it’s the first in-person event since 2019, but it also marks the 20th anniversary of the Student Enterprise Programme.
The students all took part in the Fingal Final March 21 held at the County Hall, Swords.
The enterprise education initiative, funded by the Irish Government through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country, saw over 24,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part in 2020/2021.
The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Finals. The Fingal Student Enterprise Programme County Final 2022 was sponsored by Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB (DDLETB) and Blanchardstown Centre.
In the Junior Category, the student representing Fingal at the National Finals will be Maya Ranecka from Patch Yourself from Loreto Balbriggan.
In the Intermediate Category, Custom Carry by Victoria Gluszkiewicz, Megan Nolan, Aoife Malone and Emmalise O’Boyle from Loreto Balbriggan will be representing the county at the Finals.
In the Senior Category of the competition, Fingal will be represented on May 18 by Alanna Gorman, Katie Murphy and Aoife Connolly from AKA Albums from Colaiste Pobail Setanta.
Special guests at the Fingal Final included Mayor of Fingal Councillor Seána Ó Rodaigh, Emer O’Gorman Director of Economic, Enterprise, Tourism & Cultural Development at Fingal County Council and Head of Enterprise at Local Enterprise Office Fingal, Oisín Geoghegan.
Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise, Fingal County Council, Mayor of Fingal Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh, Students Victora Gluszkiewicz, Megan Nolan, Aoife Malone, Emmalise O’Boyle who won the intermediate category and Emer O’Gorman – Director of Services – Fingal County Council
Fingal has had success over the years with students Emily Carroll, Lucy Barnwell, and Hannah Barnwel of Loreto Balbriggan winning the Special Merit prize in Intermediate category in 2020/2021 with their product Bee Happy. Ava Gilmartin from Malahide-Portmarnock Educate Together also took the first prize in the Junior category at the National Student Enterprise Programme back in 2019. Aoife Ni Chuanaigh from Colaiste Ghlor na Mara won the Merit Prize in the Intermediate category, with her book “Make Every Step Count” in 2017.
Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 300,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business. The Student Enterprise Programme also has new range of online resources for 2021 / 2022 at www.StudentEnterprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.
Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise, Fingal County Council, Mayor Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh, student Mia Ranecka who won the junior category and Emer O’Gorman
Further information on the Student Enterprise Programme is available at: www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.
MAIN PHOTO – Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise, Fingal County Council, Mayor Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh, Students Alanna Gorman Katie Murphy and Aoife Connolly from Colaiste Pobail Setanta who won the senior category and Emer O’Gorman – Director of Services – Fingal County Council.
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