BURY-based Microcare Systems are celebrating the success of their summer placement student Melissa Slaven under the Shell STEP programme.

For she has won the most enterprising student award in the North Manchester heat of the scheme at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel.

Melissa came top out of eight other hopefuls and will now go on to represent the area in the north west regional final later this month.

The Shell STEP programme enables students to spend the summer break putting into practice some of the textbook theory. Melissa devoted her time to helping Derby Street-based Microcare with their marketing strategy.

Stephen Dykes, maintenance sales manager, said: "We may have been around for more than 20 years, but marketing is one area that we are always learning. Melissa has given us the opportunity to re-evaluate what we are doing and what we now need to concentrate on.

"We may have some great ideas for marketing, but with Melissa's input we now know how to make it work better for us."

Melissa has completed two years of her marketing degree at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, where she is on course to achieve a first class honours.

She concluded: "I have had some great ideas for my final dissertation as a result of working with Microcare and have used my time well to build on what I have already learned."

Telecoms company Microcare Systems provides support and solutions to businesses both locally and nationally.