Westmeath Community Development trainee entrepreneurs graduate

On Monday March 25, Peter Burke, TD, Minister of State for European Affairs and Minister of State at the Department of Defence presented certificates to 14 graduates of Westmeath Community Development’s (WCD) Trainee Entrepreneur Programme.

Minister Burke, who would not be drawn about the possibility of a change in his ministerial role, said: "I am delighted to be welcomed back to WCD to present these certs and to meet the current students and graduates of the TEP.

"I am familiar with the work of WCD from my time as a board member. Entrepreneurship is important and I encourage all the participants to avail of the many different activation supports as they are important when starting up a business. Last year everyone was delighted when employment figures reached 2.6m. They are now at 2.7m which is unprecedented".

Referring to his time working as an accountant, Minister Burke said that he is familiar with the challenges of setting up a business and encouraged the budding entrepreneurs "the world is your oyster, but reach out for help and supports if you need them".

The Trainee Entrepreneur Programme is part of the Dept of Social Protection Community Employment Scheme, aimed at delivering a business development programme to unemployed people with business ideas, and is part funded by the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme for 2024-2028.

WCD have been delivering the Trainee Entrepreneur Programme in Mullingar or Athlone since 2006. More than 500 people have graduated from the course since, and established businesses and enterprises throughout the county. At the graduation event, Frank Murtagh, CEO of Westmeath Community Development, outlined the history of the course and WCD’s long association with enterprise. He welcomed representatives of all the stakeholders involved in the delivery of the course and acknowledged their contribution in the past, and looked forward to working with them in the future.

Also at the presentation, Pat Boyce, chairman of Westmeath Community Development, said: "It’s coming close to 30 years now since the first Trainee Entrepreneurship Programme commenced in Athlone Community Taskforce, and 500 people have done the course since.

"The model we use in Westmeath, whereby places are allocated on our Community Employment scheme for people considering self-employment, is one of only a few such examples, and was originally the brainchild of staff in the Dept of Social Protection, who could see the value of such as scheme as a natural stepping stone into self-employment for people in receipt of a social welfare payment.

"Each year our SICAP programme works with more than 700 people, and for some self-employment is a real and live prospect. Some progress directly to the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme funded by Social Protection, others need more time to consider their projects and develop their ideas, and the Trainee Entrepreneurship Programme was developed so support that."

The course provides QQI certification at Level 5 and includes modules on online digital marketing skills, personal development, book keeping and social media marketing.

Eddie Newman, assistant CE supervisor and coordinator of the TEP course, gave an outline of the course and examples of the types of businesses started by participants. He thanked the many different agencies who help the participants and WCD. These include the DSP, Seetec and Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board.

Niall Kenny, who completed the course, thanked Eddie, John Cullen from Forus and all those involved in delivering the course. Niall is currently setting up his own horticulture business.

The event concluded with Minister Burke presenting certificates to the successful participants.