This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Enterprising kids come out on top
18/07/2003
A team of six pupils from an Isle of Harris secondary
school has won the Young Enterprise UK Finals, an annual
event designed to showcase the best enterprise projects
from young people across the UK.
The pupils - from the Sir Edward Scott secondary school
- formed a business to develop and market a Harris Tweed
tartan.
Congratulating them on their success, Enterprise
Minister Jim Wallace said:
"This is this first time in some 40 years of the awards
that a Scottish team has enjoyed this level of achievement,
having seen off competition from over 45,000 students.
"It's a tremendous feat and the young people involved
have done their country proud. I want to be among the first
to congratulate - and celebrate - their success; they are a
model of what enterprising 'can do, will do' attitudes can
achieve.
"Supporting and encouraging enterprise in education is
one of my top priorities. I want to foster the spirit shown
by these young people through strategies such as Determined
to Succeed, and encourage our school children to become the
creative and innovative citizens of tomorrow.
"Winning the Scottish and the UK Young Enterprise finals
are wonderful achievements. I have already written to the
young people to wish them yet more success when they
represent the UK in the European finals today."
The success of the Harris school was based on a business
-
Beartas - that developed and marketed a
Harris Tweed tartan. Working with local weavers and
manufacturers,
Beartas has successfully sold a range of
items including kilts, ties, scarves and cloths. They are
hopeful that the business might be developed into a
sustainable venture for the people of Harris.
'Beartas' was chosen as the company name because it is
Gaelic for wealth but forms a double-entendre because
'beart' also means loom, tieing in well with the tartan
theme.
The Executive recently committed £42 million over three
years to deliver Determined to Succeed (
DtS), its strategy for delivering more and better
Enterprise in Education.
DtS identifies a range of best practices necessary
to develop a culture of enterprise in our young people, and
better support transitions to the world of work.
Young Enterprise is a national education charity with a
mission: to inspire and equip young people to learn and
succeed through enterprise. It runs six programmes, each
for a different age group from 5 to 25+. These are run on a
'learning by doing' principle. The annual awards ceremony
is a means of showcasing and celebrating the most
successful companies set up and run by young people.