Business Enterprise roadshow wows pupils

The event was designed to inspire young people about enterprise and to help them develop a creative “can-do” attitude with the skills to spot opportunities and the confidence to pursue them.

The interactive enterprise event was specifically targeted towards young people aged 13-14 and was particularly relevant to pupils studying Business Studies or Learning for Life and Work.

The event consisted of a series of interactive enterprise activities delivered by a range of organisations and entrepreneurs including local company Xplore Outdoors, Clarity Business Education, Advantage NI, serial entrepreneur; Hugh Daly, celebrity chef Sean Owens of Gardiners Restaurant and Ireland’s largest manufacturer Bombardier.

The roadshow provided a unique experience for pupils to learn and investigate more about Product Development, Marketing, Engineering and Activity enterprises through creativity and Entrepreneurship.

Students also had the opportunity to win fantastic prizes totalling almost 1, 000 including IPod’s, ITunes vouchers and vouchers for the Jet Centre in Coleraine.

The roadshow was sponsored by the Department of Education, with Ulster Pork and Bacon Forum sponsoring the full demonstration kitchen for the Ready, Steady Cook event and Kelly’s Golf Links Hotel providing the venue as a unique backdrop for the individual challenges.

Jayne Taggart, Chief Executive of Causeway Enterprise Agency and secretary of CBEP who managed the event, said: “It was a truly inspirational day with facilitators successfully enthusing and lighting the imaginations of the young people and encouraging them to think outside the box.

“It was particularly useful for the pupils to hear first hand from real entrepreneurs who have been very successful in their own enterprises.

“We were delighted with the positive feedback from local teachers and pupils who said they would like to see this as an annual event in the school calendar.”