Business School announces third (free) Entrepreneur Summer Camp for second-level pupils

A free Young Entrepreneur Summer Camp for 40 second-level students will run this summer in GMIT’s Galway (Dublin Road) campus, commencing 8 July. The camp is hosted by the School of Business, for the third year in a row, as part of a national initiative funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). It is designed to meet a key objective of the National Skills Strategy 2025, the promotion of entrepreneurial thinking and design skills among secondary school pupils.

Kevin McDonagh and Ivan McPhillips, lecturers in Enterprise, Creativity and Innovation, will lead the delivery of the one-week course which is for secondary school students in Galway city and county, aged 12 to 17 years. It will run from Monday 8 July to Friday 12 July, from 10am to 4pm (except Friday – 10am to 1pm). Participation is free and lunch /refreshments are provided each day.

Both lecturers have many years of experience in mentoring and encouraging GMIT students to participate in national and regional competitions such as Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur; Enterprise Ireland Student Enterprise Awards; The Ericson Innovation Awards; GMIT Student Innovation Awards; and the SCCUL Student Enterprise Awards.

The Entrepreneur Summer Camp will help pupils develop ideas and present them to a panel of judges at the end of the week. The programme will span idea generation to commercialisation and involve workshops, lectures, guest speakers, practical exercises, field trips, and a site visit. Modules will be delivered by experienced GMIT lecturers with the assistance of guest experts and entrepreneurs.

Kevin McDonagh explains: “Prizes will be awarded to participants based on the quality of the ideas they develop and their pitching of those ideas to the panel of judges. Inclusion of a competitive aspect to the camp will help stimulate the creation and dynamic development of business ideas, helping participants develop creative confidence, entrepreneurial thinking and leadership skills.”

Ivan McPhillips says: “We look forward to receiving applications from all schools in the city and county. The standard each year keeps increasing. It’s great to see young people excited about becoming entrepreneurs.”

For more information and to apply, please contact Ivan McPhillips at ivan.mcphillips@gmit.ie or tel. 091 742608. Closing date for applications is Wednesday 3 July, by 5pm.

For information on GMIT School of Business programmes, see: https://www.gmit.ie/business/school-business

Separately, GMIT’s Letterfrack campus, the National Centre for Excellence in Furniture Design and Technology, delivered its own Entrepreneurship Summer Camp this month, also funded by the HEA. The course which concluded this week was attended by secondary school pupils from counties in the region and had a focus on furniture and product design using a range of CAD and 3-D printing technologies.

For information about GMIT Letterfrack, see: https://www.gmit.ie/national-centre-excellence-furniture-design-and-technolgy/gmit-letterfrack

ENDS

Issued byRegina Daly
GMIT Communications Officer
GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway
Tel. 091 742826 / 087-9618355 (m) regina.daly@gmit.ie
www.gmit.ie/news