Laois student winning entrepreneurs presented with prizes for county awards

Students in Portlaoise and Mountrath were the proud recipients of county awards that recognise and promote business innovation just before the Easter school break.

Honor Deevy, Acting Head of Enterprise, at the Local Enterprise Office Laois, travelled with staff to Mountrath Community School and Portlaoise College where Laois County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr Conor Bergin presented the winning students with awards in the 2022 Laois Student Enterprise Programme.

The Senior Category County Winners were Raymond Goode and Caelum O'Brien from Mountrath Community School. They won with for their project called RC Woodcrafts.

Among those to attend the presentation in the school were Principal Kathryn O'Brien and teacher Rita Moore. MORE BELOW PICTURE

The other overall awards went to Portlaoise College.

James Crean and Valeria Codreono of Sapone Soap came out on top in the Junior Category. James Crean and Valeria Codreono of Sapone Soap.

Oisin Grundy with his business ‘Osite’ from Portlaoise College was the winner in the Intermediate Category.

The “Most Creative Business Idea competition was also won by Oisin with his business idea ‘Sniff n’ Sip came out on top at Junior Cycle level and Noor Fatima with her business idea ‘The Sweat Zone’ won the Senior Cycle level award.

The My Entrepreneurial Journey category of the competition was won by Mosa Hafeez also from Portlaoise College.

Among those present for the presentations to the Portlaoise students were Principal Noel Daly, Business teachers James Harvey and Michelle Duggan. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

The students all took part in the Laois Final which were held on March 9, virtually on YouTube and Facebook.

A total of 427 students across 7 schools in Laois took part in the 2021/22 edition of the programme.

The winning Laois students will now compete against approximately 80 student enterprises from all over the country for a place in the Top 15 shortlisted teams to make it to a live event on Wednesday 18th May at The Helix in Dublin.

Laois Jobs Fair attracts some 1,000 jobseekers for hundreds of jobs

Ms Deevy wished all the finalist well in the next phase of the competition.

“Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the very best of luck going forward to National Final. In what has been a particularly challenging couple of years for students, the programme has offered them an outlet outside of the usual school demands,” she said.

In Pictures: Laois Jobs Fair returns to Portlaoise and proves a great success

The Student Enterprise Programme is co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices around Ireland.

Scroll through the PRESENTATION pictures above taken by Alf Harvey