Employer Engagement Opportunities
Building those links between education and business is a fantastic way to really make a difference to the next generation coming through.
We work with volunteers from all sectors of the business and professional community and are always keen to hear from new contacts. You are never too young (or too old!) to get involved. We are fortunate to have a diverse group of helpers – from apprentices sharing their early career stories to established managers and professionals with a wealth of experience to draw on.
We support our network of employers and business volunteers to contribute in a way that works for them. Some organisations want to sign up as a Cornerstone Employer. Some volunteers focus on supporting a single school or college. Others work in a more flexible way possibly choosing a specific area of expertise or interest that they want to focus on e.g. Promoting apprenticeships, or supporting young people with additional needs. Some officially sign up to become Enterprise Advisers (EAs) and others volunteer more informally.
Within the EA role, you will join a thriving community, and be linked to one of our careers hub colleagues who will support you every step of the way. You’ll be able to attend regular networking meetings, enjoy professional development opportunities, get involved in projects and access a range of practical resources.
Cornerstone Employers
Cornerstone Employers are the strategic partners of local careers hubs. They are an organisation of any size that provides and advocates for high quality careers education outreach and opportunities for young people aligned to the local economy. Cornerstones want to lead the way and will attend regular roundtable meetings with the Hub Lead for their area.
Cornerstones:
- Champion high-quality outreach
- Deliver and Advocate for Modern Work Experience
- Promote pathways
- Upskill and inform educators, parents and carers
- Are willing to galvanise their networks to support.
There are currently over 400 Cornerstone Employers across the country. They are made up of SMEs, large employers, government, private and not-for-profit organisations and are from a range of different sectors.
Give an Hour
There are so many ways you can support your local school or college, whether that be in person or virtually. Sharing your career journey can be powerful. Your insights, unique industry knowledge and experience can make a difference to the options a young person considers for their future career.
You could be the role model who changes a young person’s life, just by showing what is possible.
Benefits to your business
The Give an Hour campaign is a great way to give something back to your community and ignite your team at the same time. It helps give young people the skills and knowledge that they need while also potentially finding new recruits for your business.
You can make a difference to the future career choices that a young person makes.
What can you do in an hour?
It might feel like an hour is too short to have a real impact, but we know from experience that an hour can create new perspectives and inspire new ideas. You could speak to a class about your sector, play a role in a business competition, carry out a mock interview or support a CV workshop. Even these short activities make a big difference and can change a young person’s life.