Wicklow’s Young Entrepreneurs Crowned at County Final and Set for National Stage
Teenage entrepreneurs from CBS Arklow and Woodbrook College will represent Wicklow at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Final in May, the Wicklow Local Enterprise Office has announced.
The students took part in the County Wicklow Final on 26th February at the Arklow Bay Hotel. Approximately 120 students from 18 schools attended the county awards ceremony, while a total of 24 schools and over 1,400 students across Wicklow participated in the six-month enterprise programme.
The Student Enterprise Programme is funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered nationally by the network of 31 Local Enterprise Offices. The initiative supports students to create, design and market their own businesses, with the opportunity to progress to the National Final.
In the Junior Category, Wicklow will be represented by Edmund Clune and Howard McGrath from “Marble Mayhem” at CBS Arklow. Marble Mayhem creates nostalgic wooden games that encourage children to step away from screens and engage in hands on play. The manoeuvrable designs help develop hand eye coordination while providing an enjoyable and interactive experience.
In the Intermediate Category, the student representing Wicklow at the National Final is Noah Strahan from “Deck the Halls” at CBS Arklow. Deck the Halls designs and produces handmade steel Christmas decorations with integrated LED lighting. The products are built to be durable, reusable, and customisable, offering a premium alternative to disposable plastic decorations while combining craftsmanship with long lasting festive design.
In the Senior Category, Elodie O’Brien and Ema Marcu from “Bin Better” at Woodbrook College will represent Wicklow at the National Final. Bin Better is a bokashi based food waste bin designed to help households manage food waste in a more sustainable way. Using a natural fermentation process, it efficiently breaks down food scraps, including items unsuitable for traditional composting, without producing unpleasant odours or mess.
Special guests at the Wicklow Final included MC Anna Daly, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council Cllr. Melanie Corrigan, Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council Emer O’Gorman, and guest speaker Dáire Bohan, founder of Bura Games and a Roblox developer based in Greystones.
During the county final, students showcased their mini businesses through exhibition stands and were assessed by a panel of judges on their product, commercial viability and overall presentation. Selected finalists also participated in a Dragon’s Den style pitch competition.
Alongside the overall category winners, a broad range of special awards were also presented. These included Best Innovation, Best Sales and Marketing, Best Display Stand, the Sustainability Award, the Intellectual Property Award, Excellent Product or Service, Best Presentation known as the Dragon Award, Special Commendation Awards, as well as a variety of spot prizes.
Speaking at the event, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr. Melanie Corrigan said, “It is always inspiring to see the creativity, innovation and confidence demonstrated by young people across Wicklow. The standard of ideas presented this year was exceptionally high and clearly reflects the valuable real world experience students gain through this programme. I have every confidence that they will represent the county with great pride at the National Final.”
Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council, Emer O’Gorman added, “Programmes like this play an important role in developing the next generation of business leaders. The students have demonstrated strong problem-solving skills, teamwork, and resilience throughout the process. It is inspiring to see their ideas come to life and we wish them every success as they go forward to represent Wicklow at national level.”
Head of Enterprise, Vibeke Delahunt of Local Enterprise Office Wicklow, congratulated the students, saying, “The Student Enterprise Programme continues to grow in Wicklow, with increased participation from schools and students year on year. Our national finalists have demonstrated exceptional dedication, creativity and ambition over the past number of months. The experience gained through this initiative equips students with real world business skills that will serve them well in whatever career path they choose”
Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 380,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business. The Student Enterprise Programme also has new range of online resources at www.StudentEnterprise.ie which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.
Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.
IMAGES:
Image One: Student Enterprise Awards Junior Winners from CBS Arklow – ‘Marble Mayhem’
L-R Cllr. Melanie Corrigan, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council; student Edmund Clune, Ciara Garvey, Teacher; student Howard McGrath; Peter Somers, Principal of CBS Arklow; Vibeke Delahunt, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Wicklow; and Emer O’Gorman, Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council.
Image Two: Student Enterprise Awards: Intermediate Winner from CBS Arklow, ‘Deck the Halls’
L-R Cllr. Melanie Corrigan, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council; Ciara Garvey, Teacher; student Noah Strahan; Peter Somers, Principal of CBS Arklow; Vibeke Delahunt, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Wicklow; and Emer O’Gorman, Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council.
Image Three: Student Enterprise Awards: Senior Winners from Woodbrook College – ‘Bin Better’
L-R Cllr. Melanie Corrigan, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council; Vibeke Delahunt, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Wicklow, Students Elodie O’Brien and Ema Marcu, Emer Marschner, Teacher; and Emer O’Gorman, Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council.
Pictures of the winners of all awards are available on request and all pictures to be credited to Jill O’Meara Photography.