The school's recent Australian Business Week gave year 10 students a chance to become entrepreneurs and learn leadership skills. It was the fourth time the school had run the national program that aims to prepare students for the real world of work.

The program also aims to help students learn more about themselves and others in stressful situations.

There were problems to solve and opportunities to take advantage of.

The program ran in the school hall each day for a week. The hall was transformed into mini offices, then a mini shopping centre.

The school's 160 year 10 students formed 16 "companies" and took over a business with the same business statistics.

They then had to lead it to success within five days (two fictional years).

During the week students made eight financial decisions representing eight quarters (two years) of business activity.

It was done using a financial simulation that acted as a real market would.

Teachers acted as mentors to the "companies" and by the end of the week the students had to:

¦Establish a business.

¦Determine company roles: chief executive, marketing manager, etc.

¦Design a logo, brochure and business card.

¦Give a speech to "shareholders".

¦Design a television commercial.

¦Transform their shopfront into a trade display.

Each day the students had lectures from experts on topics including how to give speeches, make commercials and design shop fronts.

At the beginning of the week students were given three team challenges to help create team unity and group work skills: making an alien out of balloons, building the tallest free-standing tower out of newspaper and using all team members to capture a still-frame shot representing an emotion.

Maths teachers Zehra Mehdi and Heather Pieris organised the event with the aim of helping the students learn workforce skills such as teamwork and innovative

thinking.

The program enhances a variety of skills and school subjects such as maths, English, art, drama and business studies without the appearance of it being work.

Principal Erla McMaster said the program was a great success.

"ABW is a wonderful opportunity for students to develop their business and interpersonal skills on a variety of levels," Mrs McMaster said.