Pupils from more than a dozen Easter Ross primary schools will converge at Victoria Park stadium in Dingwall next Tuesday (24th September) to take part in a schools enterprise challenge.

Teams from each school will compete in the challenge by developing a business project, which will include design, production and marketing of their product.

The event has been organised in conjunction with primary schools by the Schools Enterprise Programme, a three-year initiative under the auspices of Careers Scotland. The primary aim of the Programme is to develop in Scottish children, mainly through fun enterprise projects in schools, the skills, qualities, and abilities that enable them to become "enterprising" people in the widest sense.

It should also instil in them a confident, "can do" mentality which they can apply to any situation, not just to the world of work.  Half the funding for the initiative has come from Scottish businesses, with the remainder from the Scottish Executive.

Jim Monteforte of the Schools Enterprise Programme, said he was delighted with the level of interest among schools in the area.  He added: "The Schools Enterprise Programme is designed to equip pupils with the enterprising skills to enable them to have the best possible chance of living economically and socially successful lives.  If some pupils are also inspired by the projects they do in school, or by Challenge Days such as this, to later go on and start their own successful businesses then that is good for them and good for Scotland.  It's great that so many schools, and so many children, are taking part in next week's event and who knows, we may even be able to spot the next Richard Branson or Michelle Mone."

A prize of £100 will be awarded at the end of the day to the overall winner and £50 for runner up.