IDEAS GENERATION WORKSHOP KICKS OFF THE SOUTH CORK SCHOOLS ENTERPRISE PROGRAMME

More than 150 students from schools all over South Cork, including Kinsale Community School, attended the Ideas Generation Workshop, organised by South Cork Schools Enterprise programme this week.  
The programme, which is co-ordinated by the South Cork Enterprise Board,  gives students access to training supports, business mentors and SCEB representatives who will encourage, motivate and guide students in the right direction towards establishing their own mini-enterprises.   Specifically designed to stimulate entrepreneurship in young students and schools in the Region, the programme will run for the duration of the school year and includes regional and national award opportunities.  
“The programme aims to drive entrepreneurship among our talented young people, and to combine classroom busines studies learning with real life experience of commercial activities.  We have seen firsthand how this tailored programme enhances creativity, improves communication skills, builds confidence and fosters an enterprise culture among our second level students in Cork”, said Sean O'Sullivan, CEO South Cork Enterprise Board.
School principals in the South Cork area are filled with praise for the programme having seen their students benefiting from the ideas generation and innovation phases, to the business leadership, entrepreneurship and motivation which is recognised at the regional and national awards ultimately.
 â€œThe programme is a truly invaluable educational and entrepreneurial experience for all involved. It develops students’ talents in ways that the established curriculum often does not. Last year, our pupils created an educational resource for students & teachers for a module of the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) called “Hotel, Catering and Tourism” (H.C.A.). We are now in the final stages of publication and hope to have it on sale in the coming weeks which is very exciting for the students”, said Frank Donovan, Principal, Carrignafoy Community College in Cobh.
For more information, see www.sceb.ie and www.studententerprise.ie

Photo: Darragh Kane