Press Releases
National College of Ireland wins the 2008-2009 Newstalk 106–108 fm Student Enterprise Competition
9th February 2009
Monday 9th February 2009 – The team from the National College of Ireland (NCI) was announced today as the winner of the Newstalk 106-108 fm Student Enterprise Competition by Mr Denis O’Brien, Chairperson of Newstalk 106-108 fm and Chairperson of the Competition. The prize-giving ceremony took place today at the Institute of Technology, Sligo, host of this year’s competition.
The winning team beat off strong competition from the three other finalist teams from Institute of Technology Carlow, Dundalk Institute of Technology and Cork Institute of Technology. The four finalist teams were given a case study based on a real-life business scenario for which they had 3 hours to devise a detailed solution. Each team was then given 30 minutes to present their business plan to a panel of judges including Elaine Geraghty, CEO, Newstalk 106-108 fm, Michael Carey, Executive Chairman, Jacob Fruitfield and Lorraine McDonnell, Enterprise Europe Network Manager, Sligo Chamber of Commerce.
Speaking at the ceremony, Denis O'Brien said, "I congratulate the team from NCI on their fantastic achievement. Their hard work demonstrates what the competition is all about - fostering a spirit of enterprise among students by encouraging teamwork and solution-driven approaches to business challenges. The competition aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice and complement what the students are learning in the classroom."
The winning team, along with their team coach, Rosalind Beere, will travel to the Caribbean this summer, where they will shadow decision makers in Digicel's operations. Digicel is the fastest-growing telecommunications operator in the Caribbean and new entrant to the Central American market.
"We are absolutely delighted to have won the competition," said Killian Doherty, Team Captain from NCI. "The whole experience has given us the opportunity to put everything we've learned about business strategy and management into practice. We're really looking forward to travelling to the Caribbean to observe first-hand how Digicel operates in the area."
A record 1,300 students across 330 teams from Ireland's 15 Institutes of Technology and the National College of Ireland took part in this year's Newstalk 106-108 fm Student Enterprise Competition, which is in association with The Irish Times.
Commenting on the level of participation in this year's competition, Mr. O’Brien added, "I am delighted with the record level of entries this year. There is pressure on students to achieve first class results in exams, which, while important, do not always fully reflect the reality of enterprise. I hope that the experience gained by all the students throughout the competition will benefit them in their future conquests."
Dr. Bill O'Gorman, Chairperson of INTRE (Irish Network for Teachers and Researchers of Entrepreneurship) said, "I congratulate not only the winning team but the team mentor and lecturers that have guided and tutored the students. To take part in the competition alone is an excellent opportunity for participants to develop their business analytical and presentation skills. But to win the competition and to have the opportunity to visit Digicel in the Caribbean is an unforgettable experience."
