‘Most Enterprising Student for the South of England’ Title Awarded to Undergraduate Working at Powerchex

London, United Kingdom, September 24, 2008 --(PR.com)-- A Business Management undergraduate, who completed a Shell Step work placement in the Docklands pre-employment screening company, Powerchex, has been awarded the title of ‘Most Enterprising Student for the South of England.’

The Shell Step Regional Finals, held at Shell’s headquarters in Waterloo, on Wednesday 17th September 2008, saw winning student Andrew McIntosh, from the University of York, pick up a trophy acknowledging his success in generating substantial promotional savings and bringing in new customers for Powerchex. Alexandra Kelly, Director at Powerchex Ltd, said:-

“We are very proud of what Andrew has achieved. In the eight weeks that he worked at Powerchex, he generated revenues of over £170K and potential revenues of a further £150K. He achieved these results working quickly and independently and in doing so he gained the respect of the whole team. I don’t believe that a seasoned professional could have surpassed what Andrew achieved in such a short period of time and for that, he truly deserves this award. Powerchex has been a supporter of the Shell Step programme for the past four years and on every single occasion our students have amazed us with their creativity, enthusiasm and commitment to the company.”

This is the second year running that a Shell Step work placement at Powerchex, based in Wapping, has been awarded. Andrew was delighted by his award and attributes his success to the support he received from Powerchex and Knowledge Dock, at the University East London, who delivered the local Shell Step undergraduate placement programme. Andrew said:-

“I was gobsmacked when my name was announced! I couldn’t believe it, because the other candidates were so strong, so it’s a real honour to win. The eight weeks work experience and this award is great for my CV. I’ve learnt so much, not just from working at Powerchex, but also from doing the presentations and creating business reports - it’s all been great for my professional development. I now have a much better understanding of how businesses operate, and I found it particularly beneficial working in a small organisation, because I had the opportunity to take on lots of different tasks and gain a greater range of skills. I am grateful to the Managing Director at Powerchex for developing me and having faith in my work, and the team at Knowledge Dock were also fantastic in supporting me all the way.”

Ellie Precious, Student Enterprise Co-Coordinator at Knowledge Dock, who organised 34 student placements this summer, was particularly proud of the calibre of candidates this year, and by Andrew’s success. She said:-

“We’ve seen some really talented students come through the Shell Step scheme this year. Witnessing what the students achieve in just eight weeks is always surprising. The Shell Step Programme provides a win-win situation for both companies and students and we thoroughly enjoy working on the programme each summer here at Knowledge Dock.”

Knowledge Dock has a history of success, having also won the prestigious award of ‘Best New Shell Step Agency in 2003’.

Further Information:

Ellie Precious
Student Enterprise Co-Coordinator
Knowledge Dock
0208 223 2499
e.precious@uel.ac.uk

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