Step Programme

The Step Programme is an 8 week undergraduate placement programme that runs over the summer. It is a UK-wide programme designed to help small businesses develop by kick-starting and managing new development projects that can be achieved within a realistic timescale and at an affordable price. It is now in its 23rd year and has placed over 20,000 students to date.

Step is an excellent opportunity for companies to access fresh ideas and new skills that can positively impact on business performance in the future.

At the Bright Business Partnership, we run the Shell STEP Programme in the Edinburgh, Lothian’s, Fife, Tayside, Forth Valley and Scottish Borders regions of Scotland. However, if you are interested in the programme, but are based in another area of the UK please check the STEP website for your local agent’s contact details.


Services we provide are:

  • Help identify a suitable business project, which can be completed by a student
  • Assistance with recruitment and selection of students
  • Providing the student with supervision for 8 weeks or equivalent.
  • Potentially providing the student with a workspace and support to enable them to undertake the project.

There is no cost to your business for our services in finding you a student and supervising the placement. The only cost to you is £260 per week to cover the students training allowance and a small admin fee. We pay the students directly - so no need to worry about Tax, NI or putting students on your payroll - and invoice your business for the total (plus VAT) once the project is placed.
 

 

Environmental Placement Programme

The overall aim of the Environmental Placement Programme is to improve environmental practice within Scottish businesses. The programme offers work experience opportunities for students by linking them with host companies to undertake environmental projects to help companies realise cost savings associated with improved environmental management.

Students are available to work on a number of different projects through EPP. Example projects include:
• Waste minimisation
• Energy efficiency
• Water & Effluent Management
• GTBS / ISO14001 development
• Renewable Energy
• New product development
We are open to all project types provided there is an environmental focus or with an environmental company

Important Information...

The majority of the placements are run for 8 weeks full time in the summer starting the first week in July.

The cost to companies includes the student training allowance as well as an admin fee for us to run the programme on a non-profit-making basis. Again, we pay the student directly on a weekly basis and invoice the company for the total amount + VAT. Costs per week range from £230 to £270 and depend on the size of your company

All students have an Environmental Advisor working with them over the summer and supervising their placements and an awards ceremony is held at the end of the summer for all participating students. Each student is required to deliver a 4 minute presentation to a panel of judges who then award a £500 prize to the most innovative project. This is a high profile event attended by participating companies, funders and MSPs.
 

INTERESTED?!

If you think your business could benefit from a student over the summer, please click on the links for more information or contact Louise Evison on louise.evison@essential-hr.com or on 0131 561 6305 or for EPP visit www.thebep.org.uk/epp