Researching the marine environment of a Lewis sea-loch, marketing a local golf course and developing a model to help local companies develop their business practices are among the targets being set for the latest island graduates to participate in Western Isles Enterprise (WIE)'s graduate placement programme.

The programme, which sees young graduates from the area placed with local companies is designed to help the individual graduates, the businesses involved and the local economy. The graduates, who are either unemployed or in a job that is unrelated to their qualification, use their skills and training to help local businesses examine new avenues or projects which they would otherwise be unable to do. This can lead to job creation within the business, develops new markets or products for local businesses and provides the opportunity for young, skilled graduates to remain in the Western Isles.

This is the 4th year the programme has been run, building on the successes of the past. Over the next few months eight graduates will be placed with local businesses, at a total cost of £116,000 . This funding package includes £30,000 from WIE, £30,000 (from the European Social Fund and £56,000 from the participating companies themselves.

The businesses targeted for the programme this year reflect the priority sectors in WIE's business plan - information technology; fishing related; manufacturing; and tourism. These are the sectors which offer the greatest growth potential within the local economy.

Among this year's graduates is Shona Morrison, who is working with Stornoway-based business consultants RMk Associates. The company are involved in the local delivery of the new Business Excellence Model (BEM), and Shona will be responsible for helping to 'roll out' the programme across the Western Isles. She will help introduce local firms to the BEM and assist them through the first stages of the process.

Shona, who achieved an HND in environmental management at Anniesland College, said: "This job is giving me valuable experience of working in the 'real world', where I can apply some of the skills and experience I gained in college. The nature of the job I'm doing, going out to visit a wide range of businesses, means I get to meet a lot of people and help them develop their own work. It is very rewarding."

Claire Kenyon, who achieved a BSc Hons. in Zoology from Aberdeen University earlier this year is set to help local seafood firm Hebridean Mussels boost the efficiency and productivity of their operations. She will undertake new research on mussel growth, water temperature and current speeds around the companies sites at Loch Roag on the west coast of Lewis. This work will help the company predict the best places and times to site new mussel ropes, saving time and money.

Claire said: "I hadn't really considered returning to the islands because I didn't think a suitable job would be available, so this is a really useful opportunity. I'm getting good management experience, as well as being able to use my scientific training in a business environment, helping the company develop its knowledge of good sites for mussel production."

Managing director of Hebridean Mussels, Mr Cree Mackenzie said: "This project helps companies like ours because of the calibre of people we are enabled to recruit. It will take a few years to reap the full benefits of Claire's research and abilities, but already we have significantly more accurate information about good sites to use for new mussel ropes which should bring better yields."

In Harris, John MacLean will help the local golf club with its future marketing and development. In particular he will try to make progress towards the club's long term aim to have a club house built next to the course at Scarista. John, who graduated in biology and then land surveying from Paisley College had been unable to find suitable work, and had been employed on a local fish farm. The golf course post allows him to use his skills and training.

John said: "This is a very exciting role. The Harris golf course has the potential to be a real success and I am very happy to be able to put my skills to good use in helping them move further towards their goals. I will be doing a lot of marketing work, and also helping to increase the database of life members, both on and off the island."

Chief executive at WIE Donnie Macaulay said: "The Western Isles have a very strong record in educational achievement - with a high proportion of school leavers going on to university or college, unfortunately surveys show that many young people who leave the islands for higher education do not return, this is something this programme helps to address. It provides an opportunity for graduates to get useful and relevant employment and in turn helps local businesses develop, creating more jobs.

"Although this, and previous placement programmes have only been one year long there is a very good record of graduates being kept in employment by the companies they have worked for."