Clarity and strategic analysis were key factors in three 4th year students in Early Childhood Care and Education winning the coveted IT Sligo final of the Newstalk 106-108fm Student Enterprise Competition last night.
Rachel Collins from Monivea in Co Galway, Karen Muldoon from Castlerea in Co Roscommon and Stephanie Morrison from Louisburgh in Co Mayo will now go forward to represent IT Sligo at the national finals of the prestigious competition, to be held next March in Tipperary.
Such was the quality of the four team contributions in the final, from an original entry of thirty, that adjudication lasted much longer than anticipated, creating a buzz of expectancy and excitement in the lecture auditorium, before the results were announced.
The competition is designed to foster a spirit of enterprise in students attending Ireland’s Institutes of Technology and the National College of Ireland. It uses a case study format, allowing participating teams to research real-life companies, giving students the opportunity to learn about real-life business challenges and solutions.
Winning team coach and IT Sligo lecturer, Roisin McGlone, said her team’s success was all the more outstanding, as they had no formal business training behind them.
“These students are from the Early Childhood, Care and Education course. They haven’t studied any formal business course as part of their programme. Two of the winners did a fantastic work placement in Sweden last year, while the third student worked for a county Childcare committee, so this is a new area that they would have been working in.”
“It’s a remarkable achievement. They worked extremely well as a team, gaining confidence as they went along. It will also be ideal preparation for them later, as they enter the workforce,” she added.
Rachel Collins said that the team were delighted with their success: “We were really up against it, but we worked diligently as a team and it is an honour to be representing IT Sligo at the national finals.”
IT Sligo President, Professor Terri Scott, was there to congratulate the winners and was equally impressed:
“It was great to see the diverse range of students involved. There is a marvellous enterprise culture in IT Sligo. I would like to pay tribute to the staff and students involved in this initiative. With the teamwork facilities here and the new Yeats Library,with its interactive, social study areas, we have created the perfect environment for students to collaborate and work together in teams. ”
IT Sligo have taken part in the Newstalk 106-108fm Student Enterprise Competition since it started in 2006. An IT Sligo team won the competition in 2007/2008 and hosted the national final in 2008/2009.
Judges this year included John Ferrick (Sligo Champion), Gary Rooney (Gary’s Cycles) and Marie Moran (IT Sligo lecturer). Thanks were also expressed to Ann Higgins, Head of Department of Marketing, Tourism & Leisure, Cáit Keaveney and Orla Mongey.
The IT Sligo local final consisted of four teams with lecturers Marie Keane, Marie O’Connor, Roisin McGlone and Cathy O’Kelly acting as team coaches.
The overall prize for the winning team and its Team Coach in the national finals is a trip to mobile telecommunications operator Digicel Group’s offices in the Caribbean, while the winners of the IT Sligo final picked up a cheque for €600.
Pictured at the final of the Newstalk Student Enterprise competition fom left to right; John Ferrick of the Sligo Champion (Judge); Dr Perry Share, Head of the Department of Business & Humanities at IT Sligo; Roisin McGlone of IT Sligo (winning team coach); Rachel Collins, Monivea, Co Galway; Karen Muldoon, Castlerea, Co Roscommon and Stephanie Morrison, Louisburgh, Co Mayo (winning team); Gary Rooney of Gary’s Cycles (Judge); Marie Moran of IT Sligo (Judge) and President of IT Sligo, Professor Terri Scott.