Placement programme pays off with new design

Enterprising student Kate Oseman has recently competed in the national finals of a major business competition with her revolutionary design for cash drawer mechanisms.

Enterprising student Kate Oseman has recently competed in the national finals of a major business competition with her revolutionary design for cash drawer mechanisms.

Currently a student of electrical and electronic engineering, 22-year-old Oseman won the South East regional heat of the Shell Technology Enterprise Programme (STEP) Most Enterprising Student of the Year competition and joined 11 other regional winners, whittled down from 1100 entries, for the final at the Merchant Taylors' Hall in London.

To qualify, Oseman completed an eight-week placement, sponsored by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), with Cash Bases, a Newhaven-based company that designs and manufactures customised cash drawers.

Oseman's role for the placement was initially to investigate whether or not the current till systems used by the company could be improved upon, however, Cash Bases was to get more than it bargained for, as Managing Director Philip Stone explains: "Kate was assigned to research alternative mechanisms for firing cash drawers as there were significant limits to the current implemented mechanism".

"Kate investigated and proposed two new mechanisms using alternative linear solenoids that would require fewer components, were cheaper to assemble and improved both strength and balance".

Oseman's prototype designs, if implemented, will have huge cost saving benefits for the company.

It is estimated that through reduced production times and component costs an annual saving of GBP 480,000 can be achieved for the company.

Sussex Manager for STEP, Patsie Sutcliffe, is based at the Sussex Innovation Centre and has responsibility for placing students in the Sussex region.

Sutcliffe said: "I have been running the STEP programme in this area for over 14 years, placing around 50 students each year with exceptional results".

"This scheme is invaluable in helping to foster innovation in the UK.

It is particularly helpful to firms which may have projects on the back burner, or lack the necessary manpower or technology to see an idea through to fruition".

SEEDA's Head of Science Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Ed Metcalfe, comments: "SEEDA is delighted to have been able to support placements in the South East for the STEP programme and are delighted with the success that Kate has achieved".

"The programme is a really effective way for businesses to make the most of our universities, and I would like to encourage more businesses to use the STEP programme which is excellent value".

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