• Setting up IT systems
• Web site development
• Writing a marketing plan
• Analysis and improving production methods
• Research into the feasibility of a new product or service
• Environmental audits and waste minimalism

• 100% of nationally participating companies found that STEP benefits exceeded a value of £2,000.
• 28% of which felt STEP’s benefits exceeded £5,000.
• There were 949 placements in the Northwest region.
• In the Northwest 95% of placements met or exceeded their company’s expectations.
• Once taking part in STEP, many companies recognise the benefits a student placement can bring, and return to STEP year after year. In the Northwest last year 25% were returning companies.
• Many companies take on students to fulfil roles in areas where their staff lack skills, in the Northwest 53% of companies chose STEP for this reason.

For eight weeks every summer around 50 undergraduates in Cheshire and North Wales join small and medium sized businesses and community organisations to undertake specific business and technology related projects of real and lasting benefit to the host organisation. Most placements take place between June and August.

Students receive a weekly training allowance set annually (for 2002 this is £165 per week), free of tax and national insurance. You need to contribute some management supervision but receive a full support service from a local STEP Placement Solutions manager.

Businesses pay Chester and Ellesmere Port Enterprise Agency for the students training allowance and an additional administration fee (2 weeks allowance).

STEP is funded nationally by Shell U.K. Limited, Dfes and SBS and on a local level by local authority councils and private sector sponsors.

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“The students did benefit the company as we gained an extra resource at a reasonable cost. They mainly provided short-term benefits and helped us work to deadlines.”
Donna O’Keefe, Anderson Bailie
Participated 2 times

“There is no long-term commitment and you get a competent student to come in and solve a project that otherwise would not get done…
It is very enjoyable to have a fresh face and new ideas and a different attitude in your company. There is a small time for the impact so there is lots to do in the time available.”
Mike Cooper, Ferrous Design
Participated 3 times

“I felt it would be a good experience for both sides. An 8 week project that otherwise I would not have time to do, and gives someone a chance of finding more out about working in an SME…
It is hard to quantify directly but there has been a financial benefit but many of our projects are long term and a final build can take years but can have been initiated from what the students have done.
Go for it! There is a benefit for people in the company and the recipient is very rewarding, once you’ve tried it you will do it again!”
Ian England, VDS Fire Engineering Consultancy
Participated 3 times

“In 8 years we have had 6 placements. They have always done something that no-one has time to do, so a student can do it instead, such as training manuals, overhaul existing ones or create new ones, etc. Update memos into a training book.
Students can absorb information quickly and digest it, they are ideal for projects. But it does depend on how you work with them; you do need to spend some time like 10mins a day, with them. You get out what you put in.”
David Pluck, David Pluck Racing Ltd
Participated 6 times

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How will we benefit?
The company will benefit from having someone dedicated time, a precious commodity, and uninterrupted focus to address any problems or opportunity that the existing company personnel are unable to act upon owing to time/resource constraints.

When does it start?
The main STEP programme runs for eight weeks during the summer -commencing in June or early July. A full eight-week block is the ideal period of a STEP project, however if you need someone for a longer, or shorter, period at other times of the year, we can help.

Are we eligible?
Yes, if you operate as an independent business with under 250 employees or are a charity or community organisation; have a project of a business nature which can be completed by a student in eight weeks; can commit the necessary resources to supervise the project, and provide the student with an insight into business.

What type of work will the student do?
The student will undertake an agreed business related project pre-defined by the organisation. The projects are usually within an area where the company does not have the time, resources or in-house skills to devote to the matter. Please see the list of typical projects for further details.

What type of student will we get?
Students will be second or penultimate year undergraduates with suitable knowledge and skills. You will be provided with details of several candidates from which you can make a final choice.

Will there be any external support for the placement?
Prior to the placement, all students are provided with induction training by Chester and Ellesmere Port Enterprise Agency. The training will include an introduction to working in a small organisation, project management, time management, report writing and presentation techniques.

Will the placement be monitored?
The placements will be closely monitored by the local STEP manager and will include at least one visit during the course of the placement.

What happens at the end of the placement?
All students are required to produce a written report and give a presentation of the results to a panel of judges for the title of 'Most Enterprising Student’. These students will be invited to a competitive local event and the winner of this round go to a regional competition held in September to compete for the title of the North West’s ‘Most Enterprising Student’ and the winner of the regional competition represents the region at the UK final.

Company representatives are invited to attend the local awards event and receive a certificate recognising their participation in the initiative.

How much time will we need to spend with the student?
As STEP is based on a hands-on approach to a real problem or development need, the last thing it should involve is extra work for you. However, like the induction of any new member of staff, a small amount of time invested in preparation for the period will reap dividends by the end of the period. Regular reviews of performance throughout the project will improve its effectiveness.

Chester and Ellesmere Port Enterprise Agency personnel will be available to meet with you and your student throughout the project to discuss progress and problems and can assist if it becomes necessary to adjust the project parameters or priorities.

What about all the paperwork?
Paperwork is kept to a minimum. Chester and Ellesmere Port Enterprise Agency will draw up a standard contract based upon your completed project outline: it is the STEP managers job to work with you and ensure that the project parameters are realistic and achievable within the timeframe.

In addition, we ask that you sign off a health and safety checklist before the project starts, and confirm that your organisation has both public and employee liability insurance.

You will receive a four page Company Project Evaluation Form to complete towards the end of the programme. We really need you to complete this as it forms part of the evaluation of your student and can help them progress through the various stages of the STEP competition where we are looking to identify the Local, Regional and ultimately UK’s Most Enterprising Student.

The project evaluation will also help you analyse the outcomes of the project and think through some of the things upon which you might want to follow up after the completion of the project.

Do we actually employ the STEP student?
No, STEP is designated as a training programme.

Do we have to process the payments of the student training allowance?
No, Chester and Ellesmere Port Enterprise Agency will pay the student direct, fortnightly. They will invoice you at the start of the project for your contribution to the student training allowance/administration fee.

Is there financial assistance available to support the cost of taking part?
Sometimes. For example, the DTI provide support to encourage projects in certain key industry sectors. We will let you know if you can benefit from any local or national assistance. Bear in mind however, that the current level of the training allowance is only a little over the national minimum wage and that you will have no NI contributions to make as you are not employing the student. STEP is one of the most cost effective forms of business support around.

What if things go wrong/we are not happy with progress?
You can talk to us; we are here to help you and your student to gain maximum benefit from taking part. It may be the project brief needs adapting, or the project changes course as a result of internal resource issues. Whatever the problem if things are going wrong you need to let the STEP team know as soon as possible so the situation can be rectified.

What other student support is available for the student?
Your student will attend an induction day organised by the STEP management team before the project starts, essentially to get them up to speed with what they can expect in a typical small and medium sized business environment. They will then return to the agency for mid-programme review days where they will have an opportunity to make a presentation on their project. Throughout the project we will keep in touch with both you and the student and make at least one on-site visit. In addition every student is offered an online skills tracker account. This account will allow your student to record and assess their own progress and skills development while working for you.

If you have Internet access on your premises for your staff, we ask that you allow your STEP student access for say an hour a week to record progress.

What is the STEP competition all about?
All STEP students have an opportunity to compete for the title ’Most Enterprising Student’. Your student will be invited to submit a short report on their project and make a presentation as part of the local awards day at the end of the project. Winners from the Local Awards then go on to compete at Regional and if successful National level.

The competition could also be a useful marketing opportunity for you. We hope you will be able to attend and support your student, and also contribute to the exhibition of participating organisations.

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For national STEP information

For more information about managing a STEP student placement download the Managing Placements Document

For more information about previous placements visit the Case Studies page

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