Second-level students nationwide are testing their entrepreneurial skills by setting up their own enterprises through the Student Enterprise Programme.
The programme is the biggest enterprise education initiative in Ireland, with 22,000 students from 620 secondary schools taking part.
Fifth-year student from Coláiste Chill Mhantáin Cillian Scott won the Intermediate Category at the 2016/2017 National Student Enterprise Awards last May.
He set up his enterprise, which transformed car, truck and tank engines into tables and lamps for customers in Ireland and abroad.
The launch of the 2017/2018 Student Enterprise Programme was held in Coláiste Chill Mhantáin
Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business Pat Breen, who attended the launch, said: "Entrepreneurship is the backbone of the Irish economy and initiative such as the Student Enterprise Programme are key to fostering a more enterprising culture."
Other enterprises included bee-keeping, mattress recycling and social media networking.
Blathnaid Murphy of ‘Daisy’s pawesome Bowties’ of Our Lady’s Secondary School Louth won the Junior Category of the 2016/2017 Student Enterprise Awards.
The Senior Category winners were Carl Cullen, Ross Byrne, and Cormac Spain of ‘ROC Protection’ from Clonkeen College Dun Laoghaire.
