Enterprising Graduates STEP It Up a Gear by Winning Agency Award

Enterprise North East Trust (Enterprise) has been awarded the STEP Agency of the Year Award, beating off stiff competition from 12 other agencies from throughout the UK, thanks to enterprising graduates Jilly Cole and Katy Sutherland.  Recent recruits to Enterprise, Jilly and Katy joined the graduate scheme, which involved project managing the 2004 Shell Technology Enterprise Programme (STEP).  The STEP programme places students into businesses throughout Grampian, to complete an eight week project.

Jilly Cole, of Brora and Katy Sutherland, of Banchory who both hold degrees and post graduate masters, successfully placed 20 students throughout Grampian, into sectors such as Marketing, IT and engineering. Fiona McKenzie, won the Grampian STEP finals and went onto to become the unanimous winner of the most enterprising student in Scotland award.

The Shell Technology Enterprise Programme (STEP) is a business support service that helps small businesses gain access to highly motivated and skilled undergraduates dedicated to tackling a specific project.  STEP places undergraduates into small and medium sized companies and community organisations through the UK to undertake specific business or technical projects driven by the needs of the host business.

Joyce Duncan says, “This is the second year running that Enterprise has won the Scottish final, and last year Aberdeen University Master’s student, Gar-Ling Ng won the highly coveted STEP award for ‘Most Enterprising Student’.  I believe that a student attending a student attending a University in Aberdeen winning the award again re-enforces how successful the programme is in north-east Scotland.  This success is down to the quality of the undergraduates involved, the fantastic support we receive from SMEs throughout the area.  As recent graduates themselves, Jilly and Katy have done an excellent job of running this year’ STEP programme and winning the STEP Agency Award of the year is absolutely fantastic news.”

The Enterprise North East Trust (Enterprise) Graduate Programme, which was established in 2002, was introduced to offer new graduates a structured career path leading to a professional qualification as a business adviser. Through the programme, Enterprise recruits graduates from varying disciplines and professionally trains them as business advisors over a three year period to serve the needs of the north east business community. 

Joyce Duncan, Director of Operations at Enterprise North East Trust (Enterprise) says, “The Enterprise Graduate Programme has many benefits. For the graduate, it offers a clear and timetabled career path ensuring that they develop their professional skills rather than just accepting a post which may have no development potential for them. For Enterprise, the programme gives us an annual intake of the crème de la crème of graduates from a variety of disciplines. This ‘new blood’ helps us to continue to deliver high standards of service and business advice to our clients and businesses throughout north-east Scotland. Through the programme, Enterprise develops well qualified and professional business advisors.”

“Graduates bring many qualities to any organisation – such as innovation, enthusiasm, raw ability and proven intelligence.  The Enterprise Graduate Programme seeks to embrace these qualities and provides a structured environment where they can be nurtured and developed.  Through planning and regular reviews the programme involves many elements, such as mentoring, shadowing and formal training. The programme gives graduates first hand experience of the many issues surrounding business development from a wide variety of sectors and industries.”

Joyce continues, “The programme is delivered over 3 years with the first year involving developing a personal investment plan and a sponsor – a senior member of staff.  This plan helps shape the graduates path into becoming a business advisor, identifying key projects, milestones and targets to work to. Similarly during the induction period a competency framework and training plan is developed to ascertain the key competencies for a business advisor and what types of formal training and coaching is required to attain these skills.”

“Over the course of the entire programme, monthly reviews with the sponsor evaluate the progress of the graduate.  These reviews look at current projects and completed work, discuss any ambitions and limitations in career development and agree an action plan for the next review.  Both the personal investment plan and competency framework and training plan is updated accordingly.” 

Jilly Cole, joined the programme after graduating from Aberdeen University says, “My MSc in Management Innovation and Change highlighted many of the complex issues businesses face, especially in the start up phase.  The Enterprise Graduate Programme gives me a great opportunity to shadow other business advisors and learn first-hand how to tackle these subjects in a practical environment.  The programme has given me an opportunity to attend a number of training courses to develop my skills set further.”  

Joyce says, “The second year of the programme involves graduates taking on internal and external projects from business advisors, varying from helping clients write marketing and business plans to event organisation and product launches.  During this year graduates continue to undertake formal training courses in line with the competency framework and training plan.  Graduates will be given an opportunity to attend a series of short courses covering subjects such as Business Counselling, Presentation Skills and Finance.  These courses are specific to an individual’s needs and abilities and progress is recorded in a log called a ‘Travel Passport’.”

“Integral to the success of the programme is the opportunity for graduates to be placed on secondment.  Through regular reviews knowledge and skill gaps are identified and secondments are arranged to address this. Typically this can take the format of working with an accountancy firm, a client SME or a business in the manufacturing industry.”

Joyce adds, “Throughout the programme graduates will work towards achieving a professional qualification in business.  For many this may mean undertaking study to obtain a Masters and all graduates must work towards achieving a Scottish Enterprise ‘Premier Advisor’ qualification. Finally in year three, graduates will complete their studies and formal training and take on a portfolio of clients.”

”We are pleased with the results of the programme.  We are fortunate that we have been able to recruit such a high standard of graduate who exhibit all the qualities, skill and intelligence to become highly effective business advisors.  The quality of our service relies heavily on the value of our business advice, so investing in a graduate programme was a logical approach for Enterprise in order to meet and exceed our client’s expectations.”

For further information on the Enterprise North East Trust Graduate Programme and the business services offered by Enterprise North East Trust contact 01467 672576 or visit www.enetrust.com.

Ends

For more information contact
Ian Chapman
Tricker PR
9 Victoria Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1XB
Tel 01224 646 491
Email ichapman@trickerpr.com 
Mobile 07795 522 010