Students from Galway Community College and Merlin College recently visited The PorterShed as part of the Enterprise in Action programme sponsored by Citi Foundation. The enterprise programme is designed to promote the relevance of entrepreneurial thinking and provides a structured 5-week programme of activities to allow students to practice innovative thinking and challenges them to understand ethical decision-making.
During their visit the students had an opportunity to meet with business leaders and entrepreneurs based in the PorterShed including Mary Rodgers, Innovation Community Manager, The PorterShed; Maricka Burke Keogh, Altocloud; Amanda Halpin, Altocloud; Dr. Fergal Monaghan, JumpStart Software; and David Cunningham, Privity Pay and founder of the Lean Startup Summit EMEA. Students also participated in Enterprise in Action entrepreneurial activities with John McIntyre from AIB in Lynch’s Castle.
During the 2016/17 school year 80 professionals from a range of supporting organisations including Citi have been volunteering to work with more than 2,000 senior level students in their own classrooms to complete Enterprise in Action. Over the course of five weeks, the volunteers have highlighted the role of business in Ireland and introduced young people to entrepreneurship in a practical way that equips them with life skills which can be carried into adulthood.