Case study - MERU

Company background

MERU is a charity that designs and manufactures equipment for children with disabilities. The placement scheme is well established and has been running for over ten years and students are treated as extra members of staff.

The challenge

As a company, MERU's main challenge is to help the maximum number of disabled children on a limited budget. Placements provide the perfect opportunity to invite young students with fresh ideas, who can relate well with the young people we produce equipment for. We are unlike most design and manufacturing companies in that one engineer takes responsibility for each project from visiting and assessing the initial need, through design, manufacture and testing to the delivery of the finished project. Initially, students work alongside engineers on their project then after about six months they begin to take on their own projects. This helps the students gain a level of experience that may take much longer to gain in industry where they are likely to work on a small aspect/stage in the process.

Placement benefits

  • Help to change the lives of more children by producing more equipment as our products we make do not come from any other source. The custom-made solutions can really help to change the lives of a disabled child.
  • The placement students bring in more funding through educational charities that would not otherwise come into the company.
  • Having young designers and engineers involved in the process helps us communicate and interact better with younger disabled people.

Results

  • The students complete two or three projects over the course of the year and so have a significant impact on business results by increasing the number of products we produce.
  • The programme helps MERU to link back into the university and carry out fundraising activities, build relationships with higher education and carry out lectures/presentation/projects.
  • Returning students gain valuable experience and act as brand ambassadors for the company.

Information provided by The National Council for Work Experience (NCWE).

Department for Business, Innovation, & Skills