Product category:
Recruitment, Reports and Resources
News Release from: Step Enterprise
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 09 March 2004
More help for undergraduate placement
More electronic engineering undergraduates and small businesses within the electronics sector are set to benefit from the Step Solutions: Electronic Engineering programme.
More electronic engineering undergraduates and small businesses within the electronics sector are set to benefit as the Step Solutions: Electronic Engineering (SS: EE) programme was launched last week at the DTI Conference Centre in London Nigel Griffiths MP, Minister for Small Business and Clive Mather, Shell UK Chairman, who launched the Step programme, are calling on small- and medium-sized companies to use the innovative approach and skills of the UK's most dynamic undergraduates to help drive their businesses forward
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 8 Nov 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Engineers and technicians must be trained
Leading UK engineering and technology firms, with a combined multi-million pound spend on training and development, will assemble at the IEE 'Investing in Technical Teams' forum on 4 November 2004.
Workshop gives complete picture on CE.NET 5.0
A UK-based workshop will give embedded software development engineers hands-on experience in running the new 5.0 release of Windows CE.NET on next generation processors.
Nigel Griffiths MP, said: "The Step programme helps small businesses stay sharp and keep ahead of the competition through the entrepreneurial and enterprise skills of some of our brightest undergraduates.
At the same time, it has an important role in introducing the world of entrepreneurship and small businesses to students at a young age.
I am delighted that the DTI will be investing GBP 700,000 this year to ensure that many more businesses and students can benefit from this simple yet effective scheme".
Further reading
DSP seminars focus on video applications
Abacus Polar is hosting two DSP seminars with Texas Instruments.
Latest Verilog standard released
IEEE 1364-2001, the Verilog hardware description language (HDL) standard, also known as Verilog-2001, was approved by the IEEE as a revised standard in March of this year.
SDF gains IEEE approval
Accellera's Standard Delay Format (SDF) has been approved as IEEE Standard 1497-2001, and is now available from the IEEE.
The Step Solutions: Electronic Engineering (SS: EE) programme runs alongside Step.
SS: EE is a DTI-supported initiative that helps UK organisations secure tangible business benefits by using the high level of skills available from UK undergraduates studying electronic engineering and related disciplines.
SS: EE provides a highly cost-effective method for companies to undertake projects that may otherwise not get done, while providing the student with structured, real life work experience.
Although the importance of small businesses to the UK's economy has now been recognised, some of the biggest difficulties facing these small businesses, especially those in the electronics sector, include lack of skills that candidates can offer.
This doesn't just apply to technical qualifications, but also to the "soft" skills such as presenting, customer-facing experience and the ability to interact with colleagues.
Coupled with this, many SMEs do not have the time or the money to invest in these areas, which will ultimately help to develop new ideas and in turn, help grow their business.
SS: EE is a genuinely business-focused scheme and helps talented and committed undergraduates to bring fresh ideas to work on a challenging project that the host company might not otherwise have had the time, money or skills to undertake.
This means that while the student is learning, the company profits.
Last year, a total of 150 electronic projects took place throughout the UK.
Projects are usually for eight weeks over the summer vacation (although part-time flexible and full year projects can also be arranged).
All of the SS: EE students have completed at least two years of an undergraduate degree and are matched to projects by STEP co-ordinators, to ensure that they are both relevant and challenging.
Philip Donnelly, Managing Director of Step Enterprise, says: "We had extremely positive feedback from both students and host companies that participated in the SS: EE programme in 2003.
This year, one of our main aims is to continue to try and raise awareness amongst undergraduates that there is still a wealth of opportunity within SMEs in the electronics sector and that projects within these companies can be a refreshing and very rewarding experience.
At the same time, we are also encouraging SMEs to participate in the programme as in the past, many projects have resulted in very significant benefits".
To date, approximately 360 undergraduates have been able to benefit from the SS: EE programme.
Having completed their projects, many students have found that the positive experience has made them rethink their career paths and look at staying within the SME sector or even starting up on their own.
In turn, 86% of host companies said last year that they would like to take part in the programme again.
• Step Enterprise: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
