ORGANISERS of next week's Plymouth Enterprise Week are already expecting it to be the "biggest and best yet" in the city.

The five-day event, which is organised to champion business in the city as part of National Enterprise Week, will take place every day next week after Monday's launch – and hundreds of people from all sorts of business backgrounds will be involved.

Elaine Budd, spokesperson for the week, said that Plymouth had "gained a reputation nationally for embracing this initiative, and as an example of best practice".

She said this year's week will help build on that reputation.

She said: "Plymouth ran the most amount of events and activities for its Enterprise Week in the South West last year – and has been case studied by the national organisers, Make Your Mark, in this year's promotional material.

"This year also saw Plymouth win the regional heat of the Enterprising Britain competition – so next week promises to be the biggest and best Enterprise Week we have seen in Plymouth."

She added: "For all those unbelievers who don't understand why this is important – remember it is people that make things happen, people's skills that turn ideas into reality, and the young people in our schools now that will be our workforce tomorrow.

"Raising aspirations is key to our future economy, more now than ever if we are going to complete in a very challenging economic climate!"

Highlights of next week will include the INSPIRE Skills Festival at Plymouth Albion on Wednesday. The event has been designed so 14 to 16-year-olds can gain an interactive experience of various sector activities to help their future career choices.

Also running next week is The Herald's Youth Awards on Thursday afternoon at City College Plymouth. There will be a range of awards for young people who have done well in business or in their communities over the past year.

Other events will include a PM-P Creative Careers Day, a Get Connected event in the Drum Theatre and a Make Your Mark Challenge at both City College Plymouth and UCP Marjon.

Business Link will also put on a business advice evening, and there will be speed networking, an 'enginuity challenge' and a 'Reverse Dragons' Den'. City College Plymouth will run a series of events and workshops – including the Make Your Mark Challenge on Monday, where college business studies students will create business plans which will be submitted to Make Your Mark. There will also be an enterprise fair at the college on Tuesday and a social enterprise day – where students will take part in a Dragons' Den event in which teams will devise a business idea, and then present their ideas – at the city's Picquet Barracks.

City College Plymouth principal Viv Gillespie said: "I am thrilled and very proud at the way college students and staff have embraced Enterprise Week.

"We are committed to helping young people develop their enterprise skills and create their own pathways into employment."