Software engineer Ali Osman, 21, who studies at the University of Glasgow, used his skills to beef up systems at Elimpus Ltd, an electrical sub-station discharge location company - despite only being there to gain work experience.

Now Elimpus will sponsor his final-year project at university and want him to work for them when he leaves. Ali, who won the Scottish finals of the Shell Step Most Enterprising Student awards, said: "To know that I can do well in a real-life working environment even though I'm deaf is a great feeling."