STUDENTS with an eye for interior design are being urged to showcase their talents and create a new room for a competition to land a week's work experience.

St Helens College has teamed up with Ena Shaw as part of a project for aspiring designers.

It will see students go head to head to see their creations come to life at the store on Duke Street and win a week-long work placement at Ena Shaw Home.

They will get to learn more about the St Helens based store and home furnishings industry before designing and planning their own ‘room set’ to a specific budget and brief.

Keith Barlow, retail director at Ena Shaw, said: “We’re thrilled to have teamed up with St Helens College to help them develop the next generation of interior designers.

“As well as having their design displayed in store, the winning team will spend a week working with us next year to get hands on experience of the world of home furnishings and interior design.

“We are delighted to be able to support local young talent and help students gain invaluable work experience.”The competition will last for 12 weeks with students across several disciplines such as textiles, graphics and photography being encouraged to hone their skills.

Keith added: “We know that there are a lot of talented students at St Helens College who are bound to have new and innovative ideas of how to show our products in the best possible light and we can’t wait to see the design ideas they present.” Paul Hatton head of creative arts at St Helens College said: “We’re extremely excited about starting this project and our students can’t wait to get stuck in.

“While the classroom is an essential part of the student’s learning, hands on experience is essential for honing their skills and identifying strengths and weaknesses.

“We’re very grateful to Ena Shaw Home for this opportunity and we’re sure the designs will exceed their expectations.”