Ulster University student Ethan Carlisle will receive his final year tuition fee thanks to winning the top prize in this years Choice Housing Placement Programme challenge.
Ethan was one of six students from across Northern Ireland who gained a paid placement for the 2023-24 programme with the housing association.
The placement offered students the opportunity to gain experience across a range of departments within the organisation, including HR, Finance, ICT, Assets and Development. Ethan, who is studying IT at Ulster University, joined the Service Delivery team with Choice and during his time developed a protype based on a stock evaluation system - part of the placement programmes ‘business innovation project’.
Ethan’s project involved the development of a stock viability dashboard that combined internal data from Choice’s ‘housing management system’ and external data on crime statistics, local amenities, and air quality. The project scored highly across a range of evaluation metrics, including problem solving, communication, analytical thinking, and practical learning.
During the development process, Ethan presented his ideas to a number of colleagues within Choice gaining insight and input whilst receiving advice and guidance from his line manager – all part of the placement programme.
Michael McDonnell, Group Chief Executive at Choice, said,
“The 2023-24 intake has been very impressive, with all six participating students demonstrating strength and skills in a range of areas – their enthusiasm and willingness to learn and take advantage of this opportunity shows just how important these initiatives are in preparing young people for the next step in their careers.
“Ethan’s innovative and creative approach to the business challenge saw off some great competition from his peers, particularly tailoring his designed prototype to a key area of the business – evaluating our stock. I wish Ethan and all the students from this year’s placement all the best for their final year of study and their future.”
The programme, which was set up in memory of a senior member of the Choice team, Brian McKenna who passed away in February 2019 aims to provide opportunities for young people to gain practical experience in the world of work and develop both professionally and personally as a result. Offering a salary of over £19K and all associated benefits and flexible working hours the programme offers an important foundation for students to gain experience that will prepare them for employment and their next step in their career.
Michael added,
“It is heartening to see how much the students are getting out of this programme – our former colleague Brian McKenna was committed to working to improve the lives and opportunities for young people and I hope he would be proud of the way we are remembering him.”
Ethan added,
“I would like to thank Choice for this incredible opportunity - over the past year, I have learnt that Choice isn’t just a workplace but a community of passionate and dedicated professionals. I am forever grateful for the Brian McKenna Award Prize, and I hope my project can provide a real purpose at Choice.”
