A secondary school student from Co Kerry student has won the overall award in Entrepreneur Programme Awards 2008.
Neasa Fitzpatrick was awarded a cash prize of €5,000 for her business idea 'Learn 2 Learn' which is based around a tutorial and mentoring service for Junior Cert students which would be supplied by Transition Year students.
Neasa said: "I can't believe it. I'm delighted. The business plan was a lot of work but once I got into I got a real buzz out of it."
The awards programme was developed by the Tralee Institute of Technology Shannon Development's Kerry Technology Park and aims to promote entrepreneurship among young people.
Entrepreneur Jerry Kennelly, who has led the development of the programme said it was vital that entrepreneurship be nurtured among the young to ensure future economic growth.
"With rising costs and our corporation tax breaks being replicated elsewhere, we can no longer depend on attracting multinationals to generate prosperity."
"The Young Entrepreneur Programme connects students to the business community and is playing an active role in cultivating the spirit of enterprise among the next generation," he said.
