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17,000 students running businesses as part of Student Enterprise Awards

Each year secondary schools across the country are invited to take part in the Student Enterprise Awards, the biggest and most successful enterprise competition for students in Ireland. And take part they do in their thousands, with 17,000 young entrepreneurs from 370 secondary schools across every county now running their own enterprises since this year’s Awards Programme was launched last September.

These student entrepreneurs are helped along the way by their teachers and the network of 31 Local Enterprise Offices, who coordinate the awards. The key aim of the Student Enterprise Awards, now in its 14th year, is to encourage enterprise culture among students in Ireland, so that more school leavers consider self-employment and entrepreneurship as a career option.

With a national trophy and cash prizes on offer, competition is sure to be high among the budding entrepreneurs. As well as the great prizes the second level students get the chance to gain substantial business experience, and get real world experience dealing with external stakeholders outside the classroom environment.

The National Finals are split into three categories: Junior, Intermediate and Senior. And later this month 300 of those student entrepreneurs will get the opportunity to showcase their businesses at the National Finals in Croke Park in Dublin.

Last year's winnersJOBS_Student_awards_film_strip

Last year, the top category awards went to enterprising teens from Offaly, South Dublin and North Cork. 16-year-old Shíofra Ryan from Offaly took the overall Senior Category prize for ‘An Tionchar’ (the Irish for ‘Impact’) which has patent-pending designs on a boot for hurling and camogie players. The transition year student from St. Brendan’s Community School in Birr is already in discussions with manufacturers to produce her invention on a bigger scale. You can find out more about last year's winners here. 

Watch this space for more on this year's winners after the National Finals on April 20. 

For more information

Find out more about the Student Enterprise Awards and the National Finals, or by using the hashtag #studententerprise on social media.

Find out more about your Local Enterprise Office.