Winners announced at 2024 Step Programme Final

Luke Hegarty was awarded ‘Most Enterprising Student’ at the Step Programme Final on Friday 30 August at Woodbourne House, as more than 20 local undergraduates presented on their placements in front of Politicians, Government officials, local businesses and other students.

Luke completed his project on the ‘Interpretation boards at DEFA’s mining sites’ at the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA), and Ailish Williams, who was awarded Runner-up Most Enterprising Student, completed her project ‘Accessibility audit on polling stations’ at the Cabinet Office.

This year saw projects ranging from compliance to history and heritage and sustainability.

Luke, winner of Most Enterprising Student commented: ‘I am thrilled to have won the Most Enterprising Student award. Over the past eight weeks, I have really enjoyed my time working at DEFA, focusing on history and heritage and the fascinating history of the mining industry in the Isle of Man.

Luke added: ‘I would recommend any students in their second year at university to get involved with the Step Programme. This placement was a great opportunity for me to learn new skills and gain valuable experience in the workplace.’  

The following students also received special recognition:

• Ellie Robb, at Games Global was awarded Best Report
• Rhys Burrell, at DEFA was awarded Best Report runner up
• Christian Forrest, at Games Global was awarded Best Presentation
• Joanna Bulli-e, at Douglas City Council was awarded Best Presentation runner up
• Eleanor Robinson at Port Erin Commissioners, Craig McFee-Bell at DEFA and Eryn Byrne at Manx Care SARC were all awarded the Judges Commendations

Sarah Maltby MHK, Political Member for Enterprise who attended the Step Programme Final and presented the awards, commented: ’I want to congratulate all the students who participated in this year's Step Programme. The final event was a wonderful celebration of their achievements and highlighted the wide range of young talent we have here on the Isle of Man.

‘One of the key goals for the Department is to encourage young people to explore the diverse career opportunities in the Isle of Man. Initiatives like the Step Programme are essential for providing students with valuable experience in the workplace, helping them discover rewarding career paths right here on the Island.’

The Step Programme matches students with local businesses and organisations to complete project placements for eight-weeks over the summer holidays, with this year seeing hosts range from Government Departments to local businesses and charities. In addition to presenting at the final event, students are evaluated on their report-writing skills and feedback received from their host organisations on their performance during their placement.

The judges were Ben Callow, Head of Business Analysis at Utmost International Isle of Man and Phoebe Harwood, Head of Marketing and Communications, and Nicola Evans, Head of Enterprise Support, both from the Department for Enterprise.

Ben Callow, Utmost International Isle of Man, sponsor for Step Programme 2024 commented:

‘For the past three years, we have proudly hosted students from the STEP programme, consistently witnessing their exceptional ability to meet and exceed their goals. This positive experience means that our continued involvement in this initiative has been an easy decision which continues to benefit both the talented students and our organisation.’

Prospective student and hosts for the Step 2025 programme are encouraged to register their interest by emailing step@gov.im. Students must be in their second year of a three year degree course, or the second or third year of a four year degree course to take part.

For more information on the Department’s STEP Programme, please visit dfe.im/step