Website concept for PLC employment wins CPC Intel event

A plan for a website and mobile app to cater specifically for young people with no third level qualifications looking for work was the winning concept in the second Intel Ideation Camp in CPC, writes Brian Byrne.

The site — The Inside Man — was proposed by Team Phoenix, otherwise Adam Nolan, Brendan Aspell, Jennifer Gleeson, Emily Hart, Aisling Farrell, and Laura Byrne. They were one of seven TY student teams who made proposals at the end of the 2-day event organised by Kilcullen Lions.

The theme of the event this year was to come up with product concepts aimed at helping tackle the problem of youth unemployment.

The winning team based their idea on the fact that 47 percent of young people in Ireland don't have a third level qualification, and that therefore they are a 'neglected' cohort in a labour market that concentrates largely on graduates.

The site would allow post Leaving Cert young people to make contact with prospective employers in their own localities, and vice versa, by posting details of their interests and experience rather than academic qualifications. The app part of the concept would alert subscribers as job opportunities were logged that matched up with those details.

The judges were Kildare South TD Sean O Fearghaill, Kilcullen Lions Club member and business coach John Buckley, Enda Coughlan of Arona Technical Services, and Jenny Murphy, professional rugby player and a graduate of CPC.

In advance of the judging, Clodagh Kavanagh of Kilcullen Lions told the participants that no matter who won, they had all come through an experience that would stay with them for the rest of their days. CPC Principal Catherine Moynihan said they were 'all winners in a very special way'.

The Principal also thanked those members of the Kilcullen Lions, and other people who had helped with the event for giving up their time and sharing their expertise as mentors and in other capacitues. "It is a fabulous privilege that we have such people here in our community," she added.

The winning team was mentored by Sue Carey. There are more pictures here.

In the first Intel Ideation series, run last year, the CPC winning team went forward to win the national finals and get a visit to Silicon Valley in California in October.