Press Releases
Institute of Technology Sligo Team Wins the Newstalk 106–108 FM Student Enterprise Competition
31st January 2008
The Institute of Technology Sligo was today announced as the winners of the Newstalk 106-108fm Student Enterprise Competition by Denis O’Brien, Chairman of Newstalk 106–108 FM, in Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, host of this year’s competition.
The winning team beat off strong competition from the three other finalist teams; Athlone Institute of Technology, Cork Institute of Technology and Tipperary Institute.
Speaking at the announcement, Mr. Denis O’Brien said: “The format of the competition allows participants to take a more practical approach and encourages teamwork among them. The purpose of this approach is to bridge the gap between theory and practice and add to what the students are learning in the classroom.”
The Competition allows participating teams to gain practical experience by studying and analysing real-life business situations. Participants must work as a virtual management team, devise a plan and present their solutions to a panel of top business people.
With more than 255 teams entering in the preliminary round, over 1,000 students from across Ireland have taken part in this year’s Newstalk 106-108fm Student Enterprise Competition in association with The Irish Times and Campus.ie.
Commenting on the level of participation in this year’s competition, Mr. O’Brien added: “I am delighted at the level of interest that has been generated from within the colleges. There is a huge pressure on students to achieve very high results in exams, which does not always reflect the reality of enterprise. I hope that the experience gained by all the students throughout the competition will benefit them long after they have graduated from college.”
The team, along with their mentor Mr. Roddy Gaynor, will travel to the Caribbean this summer, where they will shadow decision makers in Digicel’s operations in the area. Digicel is the fastest-growing telecommunications operator in the Caribbean and new entrant to the Central American market.
Last years winning team captain, Cathal Flanagan from GMIT, said that he and his team gained valuable experience from this once in a lifetime opportunity, working with Digicel. “We were working in communities and markets that were very different to those we experience in Ireland. We saw first-hand what is involved in the roll-out of a new network, the marketing strategy of the company and all the other areas involved in a telecommunications company in such an area.”
ENDS
For further information contact:
Morwenna Rice
Fleishman-Hillard
T: (01) 6188417 or (086) 1940069
E: morwenna.rice@fleishmaneurope.com
