Local company Mash Direct hosts County Showcase day at Clandeboye Estate to celebrate the end of this year’s Junior Entrepreneurship programme. Business entrepreneurs Martin and Tracy Hamilton (Mash Direct) launched an exciting new programme last September to uncover County Down’s future businessmen and women.

This is the first time that the programme has been delivered in Northern Ireland. The ‘Junior Entrepreneurial Programme’ (JEP) encourages innovation, creativity and business vision amongst 10 and 11 year olds. Mash Direct has been spearheading the search for junior entrepreneurs across the County. The County event draws a close to the first year of the Junior Entrepreneurship programme.

Thirteen local schools in County Down signed up to the ten week programme which proved to be extremely successful in helping pupils develop their personal skills, creative thinking, problem solving and team building skills. The children were encouraged to come up with business ideas which they then had to present to local business Dragons including: Aimee Beimers Keen Nutrition, Rebekah Hamilton Milgio Jewellery and Mark Mc McConville, Priory Press to name a few.

Eleven local businesses from different sectors across County Down volunteered to mentor the children and help them develop their business ideas into a feasible project. Participating schools showcased their products at Clandeboye Estate which included recipe books, warning water bottles, fire lighters made from recycled materials, a history book and a myriad of other innovative products manufactured, marketed and sold by the students.

Mash Direct hosted the showcase day to celebrate our junior entrepreneur’s achievements and honour them for their innovative business ideas. Founder of the Junior Entrepreneurship programme and serial entrepreneur Jerry Kennelly was in Northern Ireland to see firsthand how JEP is positively impacting the County.

Speaking at the JEP showcase event, Mash Direct CEO Martin Hamilton, said: ‘To see the creativity and enthusiasm for business from these young students is very exciting. Through JEP, they have created businesses, that are viable, profitable and most of all, they had fun whilst developing new skills and discovered hidden talents. The Junior Entrepreneurship Programme is vital to support the Northern Ireland economy by giving young people the confidence and skills to create their own start-ups from an early age.’

The JEP programme has been devised in partnership with education institutions and entrepreneurs. It has been fully aligned with the primary school curriculum and uses an integrated teaching and project-based approach. Primary school children are benefiting from a free Junior Entrepreneurship programme, this is a great opportunity for schools and we encourage more schools to sign up next year.

Pictured: Gerry Kennelly Founder JEP Martin Hamilton Daniel Elmes and Eleanor Green Rockport School