Success for Banagher, Ferbane and Tullamore schools at Student Enterprise Awards

Local Enterprise Office Offaly have announced that winning teenage entrepreneurs from Banagher College, Gallen Community School, Ferbane and Tullamore College will represent Offaly at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals on Wednesday 18th May. The Finals return to a physical event this year at The Helix in Dublin having been held online in 2020 and 2021.

The students all took part in the Offaly Final on March 8th which was held online. An estimated 76 students from nine schools from all over the county took part in the annual programme.

The enterprise education initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland 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.

In the Junior Category, the student representing Offaly at the National Finals is Cian Conway from Conway’s Cuisine at Tullamore College.

In the Intermediate Category, Áine Colclough, Emma Foley, Hannah Grennan and Ruth Quirke from Gallen CS Binders, Gallen Community School, Ferbane will be representing the county at the Finals.

In the Senior Category of the competition, Offaly will be represented on May 18th by Abhainn Hurley from Páipear Plandai at Banagher College.

The schools which took part this year were Banagher College, Cistercian College Roscrea, Ardscoil Chiaráin Naofa, Clara, Gallen Community School, Ferbane, Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore, Tullamore College, Coláiste Íosagain, Portarlington, St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry and St Brendan’s Community School, Birr.

Speaking at the county final, Orla Martin of the Local Enterprise Office Offaly congratulated the students, saying “We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Offaly, with twenty-nine entries from local schools taking part this year. Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the very best of luck on May 18th. In what has been a particularly challenging couple of years for students the programme has offered them an outlet outside of the usual school demands. What our students are learning from the programme is that with the right supports and encouragement, they can take an idea from the classroom and develop it into a real-life business. The skills they learn along the way, such as business planning, market research, selling and team-work, will help them become more entrepreneurial throughout their future careers”.

Offaly County Council Cathaoirleach Declan Harvey said “I know the last two years haven’t been the easiest ones to set up a new business. But I hope that as a result of managing to run your real business despite all the additional challenges, you have learnt a lot about what’s involved in being self-employed. But equally important I hope you have found a new confidence in yourselves and your abilities. Hopefully many of you will go on to set up your own businesses in the future and avail of the services of the Local Enterprise Office to help you along the way. I want to acknowledge the hard work and enthusiasm of you the students. I also want to commend your teachers who have helped and encouraged you along the way since September.”

The local students will be competing against hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland at the Student Enterprise Programme National Finals, taking place at the Helix in Dublin on the 18th May.

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.

Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.

The full list of award winners was as follows:

Junior Category Results 1st Place Conway’s Cuisine, 2nd Place Little Miss Cakes and 3rd Place Become a Superstar, all from Tullamore College

Intermediate Category Results 1st Place Gallen CS Binders, 2nd Place White Grass Jewellery, 3rd Place Sweet Treats all from Gallen Community School, Ferbane.

Senior Category Results 1st Place Páipear Plandai from Banagher College, 2nd Place Abbey Apple Juice from Cistercian College, Roscrea and 3rd Place LA Glass Crafts from Ardscoil Chiaráin Naofa, Clara

Most Innovative Product Award was won by BOG Fabrications from Gallen Community School, Ferbane

The Sustainability Award was won by Bee Blooms from Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore

The Best Report Award was won by Time to Grow from Tullamore College

The Best Marketing Award was won by Faithful Books from Tullamore College

The One to Watch Award was won by Coláiste Creations from Coláiste Íosagain, Portarlington