SIR Tom Hunter has said that young people need to be listened to because their ideas will be the ones which shape the future.
The philanthropist has said that his foundation will support 100 young people who are "positively disrupting" Scotland.
The Hunter Foundation will award them grants of £1,000 to help them have their voices heard in as part of the official Year of Young People this year.
Sir Tom said that the idea came to him after speaking to schoolchildren at Hyndland Secondary School in Glasgow after a competition to find out what they would do if they ran Scotland.
He said: "We need to listen to them about what they want from their education. When we spoke to them they were very articulate and hey were engaged with the subject.
"But they were saying 'what's the use? Because no-one is going to listen to us.'"
He added: "Talking about education - if this was a business you would want to hear from the people who are receiving the product, which would be the young people."
The 100 disrupters competition is looking to back young people with ambition and the "courage" to take that ambition on. Examples include sporting challenges, community work, entrepreneurship, supporting the arts or promoting a charity or cause that can change the face of Scotland.
It is open to anyone in Scotland up to the age of 26. The Unter Foundation is THF is partnering with a range of organisations to encourage young people to apply, including Young Scot, Prince’s Trust, Young Enterprise Scotland, StreetSoccer, Who Cares Scotland and the Children’s Parliament. All the partners will be invited to judge the winning entries.
Sir Tom said: I'm an optomist at the end of the day. With the right attitude, young people just get on with it and make the most of their situation.
"And with the pace of change today, I believe that the people best placed to make the most of the opportunities are the young people who are living through it.
"We want to see positive change in Scotland and these are the people who are going to deliver it."
“Ambition is taking on a challenge you may not fulfil but giving it a go anyway. As John Wayne said,‘courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway’ – we hope 100 disrupters will.” he added.
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