George, a 21 year old English and Latin Literature student from Hampshire, who attends the University of Warwick, has been crowned Sussex ’s Most Enterprising Student 2007.

George took part in the Shell Step programme and spent the summer with Learning Links based in Portsmouth creating a financially autonomous company where profits could be invested in charitable exploits – to supplement their grant income.

Two business units, SpangleJelly and SpanglePrint developed as a result of his work.

George said: “Given my academic background, it has been a rare privilege to have been afforded an opportunity to help bring new product lines and a commercial ethos into a charity, an opportunity I don't believe any other program could have offered. It has been a pleasure to see so many projects come to fruition, and I hope that the breadth of talent displayed in our region alone will encourage SMEs to think seriously about the impact a Shell Step placement can have on virtually any business.” The company is delighted with what George has achieved over the summer and by them winning the local finals. Learning Links states “There is no doubt that the placement has benefited us considerably to enable us to drive forward business objectives more quickly.  George’s perseverance, tenacity and obvious intelligence made us confident to delegate tasks that we would not normally delegate to a temporary member of staff.  His attitude and performance have been exemplary throughout his placement and we are only sorry that he has to go back to University!”

Second Place went to Laurence Hauser studying Engineering at Durham University, who did a remarkable job of helping design, specify and manufacture the first prototype of a new solar roof product for Powertile in Southampton.

Equal third place went to Mark Challoner, studying Computer Science at Nottingham University and James Stileman studying French at Cardiff University . Mark was based at Oban Multilingual in Brighton where he investigated and proved web design rules for different cultures and developed software to automate some of the implementation processes for Oban’s clients.

James was based in Alton with Luberation Laboratory where he developed a PR strategy for launching a unique new lubrication product.  James also implemented the larger part of this strategy to great success receiving much publicity for this relatively unknown product.

Due to student availabilities, Laurence (2^nd) and Mark (equal 3^rd) will now go through to the regional event on 13 September at the Shell Centre in Waterloo, London and face winners from across the South of England.

Patsie Sutcliffe, of the Sussex Innovation Centre, would like to thank the six judges for their time and input into this excellent project.

Shell Step is a direct response to the challenge that faces tens of thousands of UK graduates when they move from the world of study into employment. The programme gives students relevant and meaningful experience of the world of work and is the UK ’s leading creator of tailored placements for students in small and medium-sized businesses.

Shell Step is a 21^st Century placement scheme. Students who take part in the programme are more attractive to future employers, increasing their employability by around 70%, and the participating companies report a significant impact on the bottom line.

For further information contact Patsie Sutcliffe on 01273 704404 or email patsie@sinc.co.uk