Online help to 'find a student'.

THE National Council for Work Experience (NCWE) has launched a free online information and recruitment initiative to help North East businesses find work placement students.

Currently covering several areas including Newcastle, Durham, Northumberland, Sunderland and Teesside, Find Me A Student! is available on work-experience.

org It aims to help businesses to find local as well as regional information and contact details for university placement services, job shops and independent placement organisations with student initiatives.

Heather Collier, director for the NCWE, said: "The downturn has seen business interest in establishing student placement schemes soar.

"We've responded with an easy-to-use online resource to give companies who don't have existing relationships with higher education institutions or other placement organisations a starting point for finding students or graduates for their work experience opportunity.

"Many HR professionals working in smaller companies in particular have expressed an interest in implementing a work placement scheme but felt that a lack of information has prevented them from gaining access to students with the desired skill set.

They simply don't know where to start.

"Expense was also identified as a difficulty that prevented companies from incorporating a work experience programme. As well as providing details of organisations that can help businesses find a student in their local area, Find Me A Student! contains information on placement organisations that may be able to subsidise or even pay for a smaller company to take on a placement student."