Pictured above: Matt Oakley receives the award from 3M's Mark Dawson, country business leader of Health Care Markets

Loughborough University undergraduate Matt Oakley has received a special award from 3M for being the most outstanding industrial placement student with its Health Care business this year.

Matt, 22, has spent the past 12 months with the diversified technology company's Loughborough site before he returns to the university in September to complete his product design engineering (BEng) degree.

He will be leaving with the title of the business's 'Student of the Year' for his exemplary work as a product design engineer in the company's Inhalation Drug Delivery department.

Public Relations manager Rosalind Smith, who was among the judges of the award, said: "We offer places to students each year to give them real life experience of working in industry. Our intake during 2010-11 has been exceptionally good, but Matt has proved himself to be the best of the best.

"He has taken on challenging projects with drive and enthusiasm and has been a great asset to the business."

Matt has also acted as a volunteer ambassador with the 3M community programme to encourage the teaching of STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering and maths - in local schools and colleges. This included working with pupils at Boothwood Primary School in Loughborough, where he shared insights into his role as a design engineer.

"My placement at 3M has allowed me to get involved in a range of different tasks, with real responsibilities from the start," Matt commented.

"I felt respected as an engineer and I was treated as a genuine colleague, I wasn't just there to 'make coffee and use the photocopier'.

"The experience has given me the drive to succeed in my career and allowed me to gain a sense of self-belief and confidence. I don't think there has been a single day over the last 12 months where I haven't learnt something new."