The brightest and the best of Westmeath’s young entrepreneurs will display their business ideas in Golden Island Shopping Centre, Athlone today, Friday February 22, when judges will select three representatives from Westmeath to attend the national Student Enterprise Awards final in Croke Park in April.
Over 120 students from nine Westmeath secondary schools will be displaying their work from 10am on Friday morning until 2pm in the Golden Island Shopping Centre. Many of them will be selling their wares as well, so all are welcome to come and support them. The county final is a great fun day after all the students’ hard work.
Among the innovative ideas on display this year are a flashing dog collar, a medical app for your smart phone, a calf coat, an animal feed holder, a book for children with special needs, and a handbook for those living independently for the first time, as well as a natural solution that stops dogs chewing things you don’t want them to chew!
As part of the role of Enterprise Boards to stimulate a local enterprise culture, Westmeath County Enterprise Board works with local secondary schools to give students the opportunity to develop and run their own business.
This programme is a fantastic opportunity for students to get a real feel for being self-employed, and it is amazing what students manage to do in a short space of time.
Speaking on behalf of Westmeath County Enterprise Board, Tracey Tallon said “It’s great for students to have time within the school timetable to look at self-employment and we break down the elements so they can see what is involved in running their own business. We probably underestimate the capability of students and it is truly impressive what ideas they develop on this programme.
“The Enterprise Board commence working with the schools in September each year and work with students on Idea Generation to identify viable business ideas. We find students are very innovative and think outside the box. Adults tend to think very mainstream and stick to what they know, whereas students are naturally good at inventions and spotting problems that need solutions.”
Students attend workshops with their teachers and a specialist student business advisor who work with the students to develop their project idea, conduct market research, raise finance, and design marketing initiatives. Many of the schools organise market days to help students generate sales of their products, and the students also work in their own time at selling their products.
The Enterprise Board and schools agree that students who participate in the student enterprise programme gain so much. Apart from the business skills acquired, they also develop their confidence, public speaking, media skills, and time management.
All are welcome to attend the Student Enterprise Awards this Friday February 22 in Athlone.
