A plan to support young people’s mental health in an innovative way through sports jerseys, Anseo Anois and Irish language greeting cards embedded with flower seeds, Cuimhní ag Fás have jointly won the Galway regional final of the Údarás na Gaeltachta Clár na gComhlachtaí enterprise competition for secondary school students.
The two emerging enterprises founded by local pupils from the same Gaeltacht secondary school, Scoil Phobail Mhic Dara in Carna, triumphed after an extremely competitive day hosted in Seanscoil Shailearna in Indreabhán. They will now go on to represent their region in the Údarás na Gaeltachta Clár na gComhlachtaí National Final.
The Innovation Award was also won by Anseo Anois and the Marketing and Finance award went to Só Speisialta, a food enterprise, established by students in Coláiste Cholmcille.
Clár na gComhlachtaí is a hands-on business learning experience developed and delivered in partnership with Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI) and is taught by business volunteers through the medium of Irish to pupils in Gaeltacht regions.
More than 600 Transition Year pupils from Gaeltacht regions in Cork, Galway, Donegal, Kerry, Mayo, Meath & Waterford have participated this year and challenged themselves to create, operate and manage their very own business. The programme provided pupils with numerous opportunities for the development and reinforcement of important business, academic and leadership skills, which will be invaluable to them in the future.
The winning enterprises will progress to the National Final, the judges – Miriam Ní Néill, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Micheál Mac Donncha, Comhar Creidmheasa Cholmcille – were thoroughly impressed with the innovative products and services on display and the entrepreneurial skills which were evident in all the teams.
Consisting of an interview with the judging panel and a public presentation in front of their fellow entrepreneurs, judges and other invited guests, the Regional Final is a test of the students’ communication as well as business skills.
Seán Ó Coisdealbha, Regional Manager, Údarás na Gaeltachta, commented: “It was fantastic to witness such enterprising young people at the Údarás na Gaeltachta – Clár na gComhlachtaí Regional Final. Their knowledge and enthusiasm for their business ideas indicates that enterprise in the Gaeltacht areas is in safe hands. Údarás na Gaeltachta are proud to help promote pupil entrepreneurship and I’m sure we will be seeing more of these young entrepreneurs in the future. Congratulations to all the pupils involved and best of luck to the two winning teams at the National Final.”
On behalf of Junior Achievement Ireland, Niamh Grealish commented: “The Údarás na Gaeltachta – Clár na gComhlachtaí encourages students to maximize their potential and provides them with both business skills and life skills for their future. Thank you to the participating students, their teachers and business mentors for their dedication in showcasing the students’ entrepreneurial talent and also to Údarás na Gaeltachta for ensuring these students had this exciting real-to-life opportunity.”
The two winning teams will join other regional final winners to participate in the Údarás na Gaeltachta – Clár na gComhlachtaí National Final which is currently planned to be held in the Connemara Coast Hotel on April 19th and 20th 2023.
