Press Releases
Shell Step - Fast and affordable knowledge
Date: 07 May 2008
Have you considered the benefits of working with the brightest undergraduates in your area? It is that time of the year again and the Essex Development and Regeneration Agency (ExDRA) are receiving expressions of interest from small and medium sized businesses from Essex and Suffolk to participate in Shell Step.
This is a UK-wide programme that allows firms to access highly skilled undergraduates for an 8 week work placement during the summer, giving full attention to a problem or challenge that the company does not have the time or resources to focus on in-house. Through Shell Step, ExDRA can help Essex and Suffolk companies identify the issues facing their organisation and translate them into a structured project for the right undergraduate with the profile and skills they need.
The programme has been highly successful, with 96% of the businesses involved last year recognising that it would have a positive impact on their future business performance. Benefits to the businesses are diverse: from saving valuable time and money to getting a fresh and unique perspective to those problematic or specialist projects. New skills and talent come with no payroll issues and no tax or national insurance implications:
‘We are a car parts and accessories company and needed some help to develop our online business; through Shell Step we were able to access a high skilled and motivated undergraduate studying Computer Science and his contribution led us to our final goal: increase traffic to our website whilst reducing the advertising costs’
Pauline Taylor – Company Owner, Motormania
‘Our Business Association wanted to investigate the feasibility of opening Beccles’ Bell Tower during the summer months as a tourist attraction and information centre; through the Shell Step programme we placed a student from Business Administration and his recommendations and collection of evidence helped us persuade the council to reach our goals’
Chris Pinsent – Chair of Beccles Business Association
Case studies show that there are no real restrictions to the type of project that a student can be set. Projects can range between analysis of production methods to the designing of company literature and the formulation of marketing plans. Businesses involved can be from any sector but employ no-more than 250 employees, plus they must have the space and resources necessary to support a student throughout the project.
The total cost to companies of £1,875 plus VAT which includes a small management fee. This amount is paid to ExDRA who put the students onto their payroll for the eight weeks. Students are paid a weekly training allowance of £200 which is free from tax and national insurance contributions because it is treated as a training allowance.
Those companies interested in getting further information about the programme and how to register please contact Glynis Argue on 01268 591436 or email step.info@exdra.co.uk
