With the return to school just around the corner, I wanted to share my Social Enterprise learning in my Just Transition Year 🙂 by Saoirse O’Donnell, 5th year student, Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone.
Just before we got our school holidays in May 2025, I was invited along with other Transition Year students in the Midlands region to hear about Social Enterprises, and to discuss and design the upcoming TY Entrepreneur of the Year competition for this region. If I’m honest – I was looking forward to the break from school and was coming along at least to see if there was any crack!
We were warmly welcomed Social Enterprise Exchange team – Gab and Clodagh, and the Mersus Technologies team who hosted the event in Athlone. Wow – I never knew of this virtual reality (VR) company and how their animations and experience through a headset, were the latest in effective training and learning for teams with complex processes like Johnson & Johnsons and Boston Scientific.
As we were getting to know about Social Enterprises – the Mersus Creative Team came in and shared an informative talk about the company’s work, the evolving landscape of VR, their team, apprenticeships, TY placements and it’s real-world applications in high-risk training environments particularly in the medical device industry. Two standout speakers were Brenda, Head of Operations, and Fiona, Creative Lead with Mersus Technologies. Their talks were not only enlightening, but deeply inspiring, especially as women excelling in the IT sector. Another highlight of the visit was a hands-on experience with the VR headsets. This interactive session allowed us to experience how VR is used to simulate real workplace scenarios, helping to eliminate risk and improve safety for workers in demanding industries. I changed the fuse in a plug!
We set out to increase our understanding of social enterprises in the Midlands Region. We were testing how we might engage with an exciting new competition launching this September for the next cohort of TY students across the midland counties. We found out about Just Transition!
There was loads of new Learning for me
- Social enterprises have gained traction in recent years as an alternative to traditional businesses, blending business principles with social impact which is a win win scenario in my opinion.
- Jobs created from social enterprises currently stand at just over 84000 people, which is only 3.7% of the Irish workforce. This came as really surprising to us on the day but thinking back it makes sense. Out of all 10 of us in the room not one transition year student knew what social enterprise was, and how it works – this TY programme starting in September 2025, aims to change that and maybe even start some successful Social Enterprises that will better all our communities.
- I was a Transition Year Student in a Just Transition Region. This means our midland counties are moving away from our peat based industries and trying to move towards a climate-neutral region.
- Heard about an exciting new competition launching this September for the next cohort of TY students.
- Through discussions and examples, such as Athlone Community Radio, a not-for-profit station that serves the public interest, we gained a clearer understanding of what social enterprises are and the positive impact they can have on local communities.
The day was not just informative but collaborative. Through breakout workshops and interactive activities, Clodagh and Gabrielle also gathered valuable insights from us about what motivates Transition Year students and how best to shape the upcoming program for maximum engagement. Overall, the experience was insightful, empowering, and a great example of how innovation and social purpose can come together to inspire the next generation of changemaker.
In the afternoon Gabrielle McFadden introduced us to the upcoming social enterprise competition and outlined its goals to encourage students to think creatively about businesses that serve a social purpose. Through discussions and examples, such as Athlone Community Radio, a not-for-profit station that serves the public interest, we gained a clearer understanding of what social enterprises are and the positive impact they can have on local communities.
Saoirse O’Donnell, 5th year student, Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone.
