NCWE announces work experience award winners

Northumberland candle maker, Best Kept Secrets, has won the overall Award for the Best Work Experience Provider at the National Council for Work Experienceís annual Awards, held in London on the 22nd February, competing against organisations of all size and sector. Cancer Research UK, BP and Toyota were also among the award-winners.

The Awards, sponsored by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and supported by George at Asda,

span seven different categories covering every business size, sector and include nominations from students and careers advisors. The Awards were held at a lunch presentation at the Brewery restaurant in London, where each winner received a specially commissioned trophy.

Developed in 2003, the Awards recognise, encourage and reward employers who take the lead in the provision of valuable work experience opportunities for students and set high standards for others to follow, offering fulfilling placements and helping students develop employability skills. Winner in the ëunder 10 employeesí category, Best Kept Secrets, which manufactures fragranced candle tins under the banner ëseriously scentedí, went on to win the overall Award from well over a hundred entries.

Leading car manufacturer, Toyota, secured its Award thanks to glowing nominations from its own work placement students; and Intel won having been nominated by careers advisers and placement tutors. The other winners were as follows:

Best Charitable sector Work Experience Provider
Winner: Cancer Research UK
Highly commended: Groundwork Oldham and Rochdale, environmental trust

Best Public sector Work Experience Provider
Winner: Learning & Skills Council Kent & Medway
Highly commended: Yorkshire Forward
Honorable recognition: BBC

Best Work Experience Provider ñ over 250 employees
Winner: BP
Judges Commendation: National Grid

Best Work Experience Provider ñ 10 to 250 employees
Winner: CHA, workplace communications agency
Highly Commended: Touchpaper Software, software development
Highly Commended: Arjo Wiggins, research and development

Best Work Experience Provider ñ under 10 employees
Winner: Best Kept Secrets, candle maker
Highly commended: Emmeline 4 Re, fashion design

Entries were assessed on written contributions and a maximum of six organisations were shortlisted in each category. All shortlisted organisations were visited by a member of the judging committee before the outright winners for each category were selected.

Liz Rhodes, MBE, director of the NCWE, commented:

ìWe are delighted to have presented the overall Award to Best Kept Secrets. We chose this company 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. Best Kept Secrets stands as an example of how businesses of all sizes can offer placements which both challenge and educate.î

Alan Edwards, director of Best Kept Secrets, added:

ìWeíre thrilled to be the Overall winner of the NCWE Awards 2006. We entered the Awards because we felt our placement scheme offered something distinctive and of real value to the students who choose to participate. Through the scheme, weíve tried to pass on some of our company ethos, providing students with sound business skills and a professional attitude. The Award is a real tribute not only to the staff at Best Kept Secrets and the hard work theyíve put in to making our work experience scheme a success but to the high quality of undergraduates who have worked with us in the last few years.î