Secondary school students from all over Westmeath are gearing up to compete in the Westmeath County Student Enterprise Awards, to take place on Friday March 6 in Golden Island Shopping Centre, Athlone. The winning team will represent Westmeath in the national finals in May.
The participating students have been learning how to be enterprising by participating in the Student Enterprise Programme, coordinated by Westmeath County Enterprise Board. Since last September, students have set up and been running their own businesses.
The main objective of the awards is to give students practical experience of running a business. In developing their businesses students faced many challenges, from creating initial funds, finding the right business idea, working with a team, and marketing and selling their products.
Westmeath County Enterprise Board hopes that this experience of taking part in a real business will encourage more students to consider entrepreneurship as a career in the future.
The schools participating in the county finals are Columba College, Killucan; Athlone Community College; Loreto College, Mullingar; Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan; Moate Community School; Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone; and St Joseph’s School, Summerhill, Athlone.
Students are currently designing their business exhibition stand for the competition, having already submitted a detailed business plan to Westmeath County Enterprise Board.
On Friday March 6, students will set up their business display stand and promote their business to the public and to the judges. Radio i105-107 will be in Golden Island Shopping Centre live on the day, and the winners will be announced at 1pm.
Westmeath County Enterprise Board wishes all participants success in the competition and in their future endeavours. A great deal of credit is due to the teachers for all their hard work in ensuring that their students reached the county finals.
Westmeath Student Enterprise Awards will be held on Friday March 6 in Golden Island Shopping Centre from 10am to 2pm. Everyone is welcome to come along and support these enterprising students or tune in to Radio i105-107 to hear how students developed their businesses.
