NEWS - PRESS RELEASES

Winners Hannah Yafi and Dipesh Varia pictured with runner up Nick Gilbert

Shell Step Discover Leicestershire's most enterprising students

Dipesh Varia, an economics student from the University of Leicester, and Hanah Yafai, a Business Studies student from Coalville, have been crowned Leicestershire’s Most Enterprising Students for 2006!

Dipesh and Hanah took part in the Shell Step programme through Success Matrix, who are the biggest Shell Step delivery agent in the midlands. The organisation have had a record breaking year for Shell Step, successfully placing 28 undergraduates into Leicestershire companies and coordinating the winning placements yet again!

Dipesh spent the summer implementing the internationally recognised ISO 9001 standard at Iskra Wind Turbines based in Loughborough and Hanah is organising the prestigious and national ‘best practice awards 2006’ for the British Precast Concrete Federation, who are located in central Leicester. Last week, at an awards ceremony organised by Success Matrix and De Montfort University celebrating the achievements of all the students who took part in the scheme, Hanah and Dipesh were chosen as joint winners by a panel of judges.

Business Link Leicestershire kindly sponsored the prize money for the event, and Dermot Breen of the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce presented the finalists with their awards. Dipesh and Hanah each went away with £100, and will now go through to the regional event when they will face winners from across the east and west midlands. Dipesh added: “There were so many impressive entries I never thought I’d get to the regional event. Once I’ve got over the excitement of today I’ll have to start thinking about the next stage of the competition. I want to thank Vicki at Success Matrix who supported me throughout the project and helped me succeed.”

Dipesh’s host company Iskra Wind Turbines are going through a period of great change due to ever increasing demand, and needed a flexible yet robust management system in place capable of dealing with the ever changing challenges of rapid growth and success. Dipesh was given the essential task of identifying and implementing the management procedures required to obtain the international standard of BS IN ISO 9001:2000 certification. Dipesh persisted through difficulties and set backs to produce results which have laid a solid foundation for the company to build upon, and will have a strong impact on the future development of the organisation during these testing times of high growth.

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.

Students who take part in the programme are more attractive to future employers and the participating companies can benefit tremendously from the up to date skills and fresh ideas of undergraduates.

Ends

For further information contact Vicki Baddeley on 0116 2575 605 or email Vicki.Baddeley@successmatrix.co.uk