Overall Winner and Winner of the Under 10 Employees Category

Best Kept Secrets

Photo: Alan Edwards (Best Kept Secrets) and Elaine Marron (PwC).

Best Kept Secrets design, manufacture and market fragranced candles and oil lamps under the banner 'seriously scented'. The small family run business caught the judge's attention by the detail and planning they put in to each of their placements. They provide 3-month placements as they recognise how important work experience is for getting a job following university.

The organisation impressed the judges not only because of their well structured and thought out projects for placement students but because of how the work the students did really contributed to the companies operations, profits and marketing activity.

The judges were particularly impressed by the contribution made by the previous student Samantha Hope who won 'The Most Enterprising Student' award on a programme ran by the careers service at the University of Newcastle. Alan Edwards, Director commented "As a result of Samantha's original project which was to develop a marketing strategy for one of our less popular products she has expanded our product range. This has brought results that can be seen through increased sales and there is also now scope for future expansion".

Best Kept Secrets have continued to employ Samantha following her period of work experience because having already made a difference to the company's operations, she had more ideas she wanted to pursue such as developing the website and online purchasing.

Director of NCWE, Liz Rhodes explained "We chose Best Kept Secrets because of its commitment to providing quality work experience placements, which offer students the chance to broaden their portfolio of transferable skills and make a real contribution to the business."

Key Success Factors

• A live project for the student resulting in a real impact on the business and tailor made learning opportunities for the student
• Allowing the student to take responsibility and ownership of a project in a real working environment
• Help, guidance and support where needed allowing the student to expand their knowledge and develop new ideas
• A friendly environment to encourage confidence and creativity

Comments from the Judging Panel:

"Well motivated and clearly thought work experience practices with careful attention paid to monitoring, assessment and level of opportunity. Remarkable structuring for family run business with only 8 staff."