THERE IS NOW a significant demand from Irish companies, especially small and medium sized firms for Irish graduates, according to the Minister for Trade and Tourism Enda Kenny. Increased opportunities for Irish industry were leading to increased opportunities for graduates, he said.

He was speaking at the annual National Student Marketing Awards, sponsored by An Bord Trachtala in Dublin, last week, in which a range of projects from third level students around the State competed for the overall award. They included projects on telemarketing, photography, own brand marketing and the feasibility of opening an Irish financial institution in Britain.

The overall award was won by a graduate in international marketing and languages from DCU. Sinead Hayes (21), from Rathfarnham, Dublin, took the prize for a marketing study highlighting Irish knitwear sales in France. The knitwear industry has annual exports of £70 million, around £7.5 million of which goes to France, Germany and Italy.

"There is a market out there but it needs to be exploited a bit more," Hayes says.