STUDENT AREA

ARTICLE OUT OF THE MAGAZINE "ST HELENS LIFESTYLE"

Article out of the magazine "St Helens Lifestyle", November Issue

Our overseas friends

United Nations of St Helens

Words by Chris Amery, Pictures by Bernard Platt

Wonder how many people know that St Helens has its very own version of the United Nations tucked away in quite location just beyond the confines of the town center? It’s the base for a team of youngsters from overseas enjoying temporary “exile” at a company in St Helens. The students who hail from every corner of Europe, have just been given a civic commendation by the mayor in the Town Hall and are in a unique position to provide an insight into the attractions of our town to visitors. They have been on work placements at Auto ID Services Ltd. in Barcode House on Shaw Street since the beginning of July and were duly rewarded by the mayor for their hard work. Founder Martin Mulligan commented “it’s nice to see the crossover between the civic establishment and the visiting students, which is very much deserved because they enrich the town of St Helens as well as our firm”. The firms internship scheme was launched in 2000 when a number of French universities approached the company about the possibility of taking on a few students for extended work experience, and the project has since gone from strength to strength. Martin explained: “The internship scheme has been very successful. Indeed we currently have four French students, four German, one Spanish and one Swiss student with us here in St Helens. The internships have been very influential in helping us to change the culture of the company from a purely British viewpoint to more of a European outlook.” Martin believes that the scheme has also facilitated and accelerated the forming of links between his company and other European businesses. He said: “Overseas relations are very straightforward as we continue to build our reputation as an international firm. We now regard Europe as our home market, not just Britain.”

Two overseas intern, Mandy Oestreich and Manuela Bamert, were given a civic reception as testimony to their efforts in their three-month stay in St Helens and were more than happy to wax lyrical about the town. Mandy, aged 22, who is studying International Marketing, explained: “I’m originally from Wolgast in Germany, which is a small town near the Baltic Sea. The two towns could not be more different because there is absolutely nothing entertainment-wise in Wolgast. There are no cinemas, no pubs, no museums or exhibitions and basically there's very little for young people to do. “In St Helens, I have just enjoyed simple things like going to the pub to play pool in the evening, shopping and spending time in coffee places. Being here has also given me the opportunity to practice and develop my English." Mandy, who will be returning to continue her academic studies at an English university next year, was also delighted to discover a tranquil haven in the town centre which she frequented during her stay: "We've spent a lot of time in the gardens of the Friends Meeting House, just soaking up some sun rays on our lunch breaks and it's very nice there," she added. Manuela, aged 23, from Tutten in Switzerland, said: "Tutten only has a population of about 2000 people so it’s very nice to be in a place where there is a bit of life and there's always something going on. It's also nice to be so close to both Liverpool and Manchester and like a lot of the students, I have enjoyed socialising and discovering the local area. I've even been to a Saints rugby match, which was quite an experience!” She added: "I'm studying International Business Management so I've been to many different places but of all the internships I've done around Europe, this was definitely my favourite." The beauty of the internship scheme is that it benefits both the company and the student's development, as Martin explained: "All the overseas students are just as keen to learn how the British firms operate as we are interested in them. The internships also represent a very good recruiting ground for staff for the future."

Martin Mulligan Group is an international company that specialises in the servicing and maintenance of barcoding products, and they currently have offices in St Helens, Dublin, Philadelphia and Brussels. The UK centre was opened in St Helens in 1988, but Martin Mulligan originally acquired the business in Dublin in 1984, having formerly been General Manager of the Irish branch of Herbert and Sons between 1982 and 1984. The firm is now particularly aimed towards the servicing and maintenance of barcode products, the development of Radio Frequency Identification and labels, ribbons, thermal printheads and parts. The mutually beneficial international internship scheme is set to remain central to the expansion plans of Martin Mulligan however, as he added: "Due to the success of the scheme so far, we shall continue to take interns from across Europe and try to build further European and international links."