Young people get down to business

Young Enterprise NI has launched its Company Programme for the 2013-14 academic year in partnership with schools and businesses across Northern Ireland.
Pupils from Lisneal College who took part in the Young Enterprise NI initiative.Pupils from Lisneal College who took part in the Young Enterprise NI initiative.
Pupils from Lisneal College who took part in the Young Enterprise NI initiative.

The beginning of the new academic year sees 1,200 young people preparing to set up their own companies and become the next generation of business leaders at launch events throughout Northern Ireland.

The North West area workshop saw more than 70 young people from schools and colleges including Lisneal College, Thornhill College, St Columb’s College, St Mary’s College, St Brigid’s College and St Cecilia’s College were in attendance at North West Regional College, Limavady.

The workshop aimed to motivate and inspire young people to create a successful business through interactive workshops focused on a range of business areas. Jim Herron, Bank of Ireland Limavady Branch Manager, facilitated a finance workshop, while those interested in HR attended a workshop hosted by Kathryn Smith, and Helen Canning from Armstrong Medical. Eamon Durey, Paul McCay and Delia Millan of The Nerve Centre’s FabLab also hosted an Innovation and Creativity workshop.

With the support of a Volunteer Business Adviser from the local business community, the students will establish and manage their company over the course of the academic year, testing their new sales and marketing skills at trade fairs throughout Northern Ireland in December and February. In May next year the programme concludes with a glittering awards ceremony in Belfast with the winning company being given the opportunity to compete in the Young Enterprise Company of the Year finals in London in July.

Jan Gilliland, Interim CEO of Young Enterprise Northern Ireland, commented: ‘We are delighted to be launching the Company Programme for the 2013-14 academic year. Many of Northern Ireland’s top business talent have been participants in our programme and we are pleased to continue that successful and proven formula by inspiring another group of enthusiastic young people.”

By experiencing our comprehensive programme it is our aim and purpose to ignite a spark of entrepreneurial creativity in our students, encourage and uncover the next generation of business leaders in Northern Ireland.”

For more information on Young Enterprise NI visit www.yeni.co.uk, or to volunteer contact [email protected].