ENTERPRISING local youngsters will take part in the regional final of a national business competition next week.
Mackie Academy is one of six schools that will attempt to win the Grampian section of the 2008 Young Enterprise Scotland Innovation Awards.
They will be up against a team from Aberdeen's Albyn School featuring two Mearns-based pupils.
The event t
akes place at the five-star Marcliffe at Pitfodels hotel on Tuesday.
The aim for sixth-year students participating in the Young Enterprise scheme is to create and run a profitable company from August through to the Easter holidays.
Mackie's pupils set-up Forever Roses and chose to sell bouquets of flowers.
Local MP Sir Robert Smith recently met with the board of Forever Roses at the Stonehaven school.
The young people explained to Sir Robert that each member of the team has a role to play - including buying in the supplies, making the bouquets, selling the end products and keeping records of the business.
As part of the competition the students also had to put together a report on the project.
Sir Robert commented: "It is great to see young people gaining enterprise skills at schools. I am impressed by the amount enthusiasm and effort put forward by the pupils at Mackie Academy and wish them well in the Young Enterprise Grampian finals. I am sure this experience will stand them well in their future careers."
On Tuesday, Mackie's pupils will get to show off their company stand, make a presentation about their experiences and be interviewed by the judges.
They will be in competition with an 11-strong Albyn team featuring Stonehaven's Sarah Davidson and Zoe Barclay from Cammachmore.
Albyn's company, Jasmine Herbal Products, was formed on the back what Zoe learned while volunteering at the Beannachar Camphill Community.
Located in Banchory Devenik, Bennachar provides training for young adults with special needs.
The house features a herb workshop, where medicinal plants are grown in an organic and biodynamic garden.
The plants are then harvested and processed into a variety of products.
Inspired by Zoe's experiences, Albyn's pupils decided to make and sell herbal teas, cushions, hotpads, soaps and bath products.
Zoe believes the Young Enterprise project has taught her a lot.
She said: "We learned how to communicate as a team and work to deadlines. We had to acquire skills such as sewing in order to make products and we had to learn how to deal with customers."
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