Two Carlow schools have gained valuable insight into the business world under a government initiative.
The innovative Schools’ Business Partnership launched seven year’s ago has, since its inception, encouraged students at risk of leaving school early to continue with their studies with the advice of business mentors, CV workshops and interview skills sessions, company visits, talks by employers from local businesses and a summer work-placement programme. In the annual report from the initiative launched on Tuesday by Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD, Tullow Community School, linked with Mount Wolseley Hilton and Carlow Vocational School, linked with Carlow County Council had benefitted immensely from the programme, engaging the minds of students in such a way as to arm them fully for the future.
The Schools’ Business Partnership is an innovative programme within the Business in the Community Ireland portfolio, which matches companies and local schools throughout Ireland. It is the only business to education programme in Ireland that is jointly funded by both business and the Department of Education and Sciences.
The latest annual report of the Schools’ Business Partnership revealed that 40 new companies in Ireland got involved during the 2007/8 programme bringing the total schools and businesses linked in the country to 140. Already, over 9,000 post-primary students have participated in the programme.
