:: Enterprise Encounter ::

What is Enterprise Encounter?
Enterprise Encounter is a programme which brings Leaving Certificate students into direct contact with local entrepreneurs. The aim is to give students an insight into what is required to set up and run a business and to plant a seed of enterprise in their minds. Enterprise Encounter is a joint initiative of City and County Enterprise Boards and the Second Level Support Service of the Department of Education and Science.

Who are the Students?
Enterprise Encounter involves 5th and 6th year students from the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) and the Leaving Certificate Applied. Both programmes have enterprise modules in which participants are encouraged to develop links with enterprising people in the local community.

How does the programme work?
The business facilitates a once-off visit by a group of four students to their enterprise. The visit takes place during school hours and should last about one hour. The students conduct interviews about the owner/manager’s career and the business. Topics might include:
- how and why you started in business
- how your business is organised
- the qualities and skills needed for success in business
- your plans for the future of your business

When the students return to school they are required to prepare and give a presentation to their class on the enterprise they have visited. Students also write individual reports which they may submit for assessment in the course they are following.

What are the benefits?
Businesses are in a unique position to bring a dimension to a young person’s education which cannot be gained in the classroom. The owner/manager has first-hand experience of what it takes to make an enterprise work. Their example can help students appreciate the importance of hard work, determination and commitment in achieving a goal. Participation can also raise the profile of the business in the local community and bring the owner/manager into contact with potential customers and future employees.

How do you get involved?
Contact the Tipperary North County Enterprise Board to indicate your willingness to participate. The Board will link you with a school and put you in touch with the relevant class teacher. A student from the team assigned will then contact you to discuss details and arrange a suitable time for the visit. You may wish to include a short tour of your premises when the students arrive, but the interview should take up most of the hour.

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