Over 200 second level students from 11 schools in North Cork were put through their paces at a special Innovation Day at the Charleville Park Hotel on Friday, 13th September.
The event is part of the Student Enterprise Programme, run by Cork County Councils Local Enterprise Office North Cork, which encourages students to set up and run a business over the course of the academic year to help them learn all about entrepreneurship.
The event was also officially opened by Garry Lowe, of Whizzkids Training, who is the coordinator of the programme. He wished the students well on their journey and pointed out how important it was to develop business skills for their future careers and the future of the economy of the area.
The Entrepreneurs Academy facilitated the event. They showcased exciting new business ideas being developed around introducing innovation and developing routes to market.
The young entrepreneurs were then broken into groups to identify how to implement the advice provided. The outcomes were many and varied and it will be very interesting to see how the students develop these ideas over the next 6 months.
Lisa Finn, Business Advisor with the Local Enterprise Office closed the event. She thanked the students and teachers and said: “We are looking forward to another successful year with the Schools Enterprise Programme. The Programme in North Cork is one of the strongest in the country and we are very fortunate to have such dedicated teachers who work tirelessly every year to help their students learn about the importance of entrepreneurship.
“Our success at both senior and junior levels nationally is testament to the work being put in on a local level here in North Cork. Today’s workshop with the Entrepreneurs Academy will be hugely beneficial to all participants.”
Speaking after the event, Co-Ordinator of the North Cork Schools Enterprise Programme, Garry Lowe of Whizzkids Training said: “We are really delighted with the huge turnout at today’s event. We had over 200 students from all over North Cork brainstorming and networking with each other. There was a lot of positivity in the room here today. We hope they will take on board the processes we have shown them and apply them again and again over the coming months. Today’s event could be the start of a successful entrepreneurial career for some of these students.”
The programme will culminate in the final exhibition, which will be held on the 25th February, 2025 when students will set up stands and put their products and services on display to the judges.
