PUPILS at a Wee County high school will be heading to Hampden to take part in the Young Enterprise Scotland National Finals.

A team from Alva Academy beat stiff competition from Lornshill Academy and five other high schools in Forth Valley to make the finals.

The seven school teams took part in the Forth Valley Regional Final, which saw Alva Academy take the crown for their business Melody Craft.

Emma Soanes, chief executive for Young Enterprise Scotland, said: “The Alva Academy team is an inspiration and I wish them every success in the Scottish finals later this year.

“Setting up and running their own successful company is a wonderful experience and will have given them new skills to take forward into their learning and future careers.

“So, whatever happens at Hampden Park, they are already winners.”

The Young Enterprise Scotland company programme aims to provide a real-life learning opportunity that introduces young people from S5 and S6 to the realities of the world of work.

Participants are asked to start their own company, running through the key milestones of developing an idea, conducting market research, creating the product or service, promoting the product and ultimately trading it.

More than 2000 young people take part in the programme every year in Scotland.

The Alva team will now progress to the National Finals, to be held at Hampden Park from May 28 to 29.

For more, visit yes.org/uk/news/regional-finals-2024-07-03-2024.