Following the inter schools stage of the Forestside Young Entrepreneur of the Year schools award, run in association with Young Enterprise Northern Ireland. Five pupils were selected and offered a week’s work experience with some of the leading companies at Forestside: Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Dunnes and Medicare. This gives the selected students a real opportunity to improve their selling and business skills by learning about the sales of a ‘live’ product, and compete for the title of Forestside ’Young Entrepreneur of the Year’.

Following a weeks’ work placement with different retailers at Forestside, Louise Rattray from Lagan College, who was working with Medicare, was awarded the title of ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’.

Lee Cutler, Centre Manager Forestside and last year’s Young Entrepreneur John Doherty and Nathan McAuley from Young Enterprise Northern Ireland present Louise Rattray from Lagan College with her prize for winning the Forestside Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

The four runners up were:

Matthew Venning from St Marys CBS, Phil Doherty from St Malachys College, Ellen Connelly and Anna Foster from Aquinas Grammar School

The winner of the Forestside Mentor of the Year was Dunnes Stores.

Lee Cutler, Centre Manager of Forestside commented, “The judges had a very difficult job and we were extremely impressed with the professionalism and business acumen of these young entrepreneurs”.

Lee Cutler, Centre Manager Forestside and last year’s Young Entrepreneur John Doherty and Nathan McAuley from Young Enterprise Northern Ireland present Louise Rattray from Lagan College and the 4 runners up, Matthew Venning from St Marys CBS, Phil Doherty from St Malachys College, Ellen Connelly and Anna Foster from Aquinas Grammar School, with the prizes for Forestside Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Lee Cutler, Centre Manager Forestside and last year’s Young Entrepreneur John Doherty presents Kathy and Devina from Dunnes, with the award for Best Mentor.