Chester and Ellesmere Port/Cheshire & Wirral Enterprise Agency could have the answer to these questions in the form of Shell Step.

Shell Step enables small and medium sized businesses or community–based associations across Cheshire, Merseyside, North Wales and Warrington to take a second or penultimate year undergraduate into their workplace to look at a particular issue. The Shell Step programme takes place over an eight – week period during the summer months vacation enabling organisations to harness the fresh ideas, enthusiasm and outlook of a particular individual for enough time to look at the requirements of the project brief.

The programme is a national initiative that has been running since 1986. It has been recognised by the Dearing Report as the key work placement for under–graduates and has been utilised as a benchmark for other similar initiatives.

There is a fee payable for company participation in the Shell Step scheme, this pays the allowance received by the student while on placement and includes an administration fee.

Chester and Ellesmere Port/Cheshire & Wirral Enterprise Agency have access to students studying almost any subject and can normally find someone to meet your individual requirements, whether its an engineer, IT specialist, a marketing student or simply somebody with strong communication skills.

The student will undergo a full induction day prior to commencement of the project and Chester and Ellesmere Port/Cheshire & Wirral Enterprise Agency is in constant contact with the student in a mentoring role to ensure that any problems encountered can be resolved quickly. The student also produces a full report of the placement for the host organisation to ensure that any work undertaken lives on and can be progressed at a later stage if required.

For national Shell Step information and to apply online
For more student information
For more company information
For Case Studies