In March Young Enterprise Northern Ireland celebrated the success of Company and Team programme students at a series of six graduation events held throughout the province.   Supported by the Department of Education and Royal Mail, Company and Team programmes encourage entrepreneurial attitudes and give students a insight into the world of business through setting up and running their own real company over the course of one academic year.

The events had a ‘funfair’ theme, with sideshows and a mesmerising performance from Grant Gouldie from Belfast Community Circus to entertain the students before the beginning of the awards ceremony. 

‘The students deserve a celebration after all the fard work they’ve put in over the school year’, commented Valerie Ingram, Chief Executive Officer of Young Enterprise Northern Ireland.  ‘With support from the Department of Education, we have helped these students develop the skills and attitudes necessary to start their own business.  We wanted to give them something to celebrate today.’

The regional winners of the Company and Team programme competitions will now go forward to the Northern Ireland Final, to be held at the Culloden Hotel on the 12th May, with the Northern Ireland Company Programme winners going forward to the UK final in July in London.

The winning schools were as follows:

Belfast and Catlereagh region - Company Programme Winners: ‘Sapphire’, Aquinas Grammar School; Team Programme Winners: ‘Christie Card Company’, Glenveagh School.

North East region – Company Programme Winners: ‘Flaxco’, Belfast High School; Team Programme Winners: ‘Rising Stars’, Ballyclare Secondary School.

South East Region – Company Programme Winners: ‘Kaleidoscope’, Wallace High School; Team Programme Winners: ‘The Can Grow Company’, Killard House.

Southern Region – Company Programme Winners: ‘Clash’, Banbridge Academy; Team Programme Winners: ‘The Rainbow Company’, Ceara School.

North West Region – Company Programme Winners: ‘Payday’, St Columb’s College; Team Programme Winners: ‘Troy Traders’, Belmont House School.

Sperrins and Lakelands Region – Company Programme Winners: ‘Unique’, St Comhghall’s College; Team Programme Winners: ‘Arvalee Makers’, Arvalee School and Resource Centre.