Information for employers and volunteers
How can employers and professionals get involved?
Business volunteers are vital to our work. They make a huge difference to help connect young people to the world of work and opening up ideas for future careers. From a recent survey, 86% of employers say that engaging with schools and colleges encourages young people to take up careers in their business sector.
Business volunteers are also making a difference in helping young people to be ready to make the most of career opportunities. They can help young people understand what employers are looking for and how to make a good impression.
There are lots of ways you can get involved; there's more information on these on this page:
- Modern work experience.
- Enterprise Adviser programme.
- VIP days.
- Teacher encounters.
We support our volunteers every step of the way, so you can create the best positive impact you can.
How we support employers
Employers who volunteer with us are supported every step of the way.
Our team of dedicated Enterprise Coordinators work with schools and colleges across our nine-borough sub-region to facilitate your work with them. We also have a wealth of resources that are unlocked when you complete a free 25-minute Employer Standards self-assessment that helps you understand what is involved in careers outreach work and how to do it well.
The Employer Standards are a framework, from the Careers and Enterprise Company, that any employer can use to make the most of their engagement with young people, irrespective of their experience in careers education.
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86% of employers say engaging with schools and colleges encourages young people to take up careers in their sector.
89% of Enterprise Advisers say that young people are more prepared for the world of work as a result of their involvement.
Offering modern work experience
- Work Experience is changing – the government has outlined its ambition that all young people will receive two weeks’ worth of high-quality work experience, irrespective of their background.
- A minimum of 5 days’ worth of work experience activity will come in years 7-9, with an emphasis on multiple and meaningful short employer-led activities exploring different industries and careers.
- A further minimum of 5 days’ worth of in-person work experience placement(s) will be taken at any point during the years 10-11.
- These will:
- be matched to a pupil’s careers interests and aspirations;
- enable young people to experience a real working environment;
- deepen their understanding of how workplaces function;
- help them learn about the employer’s expectations;
- enable them to interact with employees.
We need you!
- We need businesses of all shapes and sizes, across all sectors, to offer work experience encounters for young people, from a couple of hours of meaningful activity to multiple day placements. You can make a real difference in helping a young person decide they want a career in your sector.
Find out more about modern work experience from the Careers and Enterprise Company.
Volunteering as an Enterprise Adviser
Enterprise Advisers are business volunteers matched to a local school or college to help develop and maintain strong vocational careers provision. They are instrumental in helping to shape the vocational part of the school or college’s careers programme and are also involved in developing and running work-related careers activities.
Who can become an Enterprise Adviser?
Enterprise Advisers are:
- Drawn from the world of work.
- Passionate about motivating young people.
- Wanting to promote their sector as a career opportunity.
- Well connected.
- Motivated to help prepare young people for the world of work.
Benefits for your business
- Developing skills and a future pipeline of employees.
- Raising awareness of your sector and organisation.
- Developing closer connections with the local community and creating social value.
Benefits for you personally
- Giving back to your local community.
- Meeting new people and growing your personal and professional network.
- Improving your skills, challenging yourself and learning something new.
Find out more about the Enterprise Adviser role on the GLA's website.
Watch our videos to find out why our Enterprise Advisers love the work they do.
We have a growing network of Enterprise Advisers from across all sectors who volunteer through us with local schools and colleges.
Read about how Emily from KPMG is helping one of our SEND schools.
Talk to us about becoming an Enterprise Adviser
If you would like to find our more about the role or how to apply, contact us careershub-east@redbridge.gov.uk we'd love to hear from you!
Visiting Industry Professionals (VIP) Days
VIP days are projects run by the Careers Hub to support young people with meaningful experiences of the workplace, and supports schools with meeting Gatsby Benchmark 6 (part of the national framework for creating excellent careers education and experience.)
We partner with multiple employers to coordinate school visits to their office/site. This is for approximately 15-30 students, giving them the opportunity to explore working environments, meet with professionals, learn about the different roles and career pathways within the organisation.
VIP days can be tailored to fit with the modern work experience programme.
If you would like to host a VIP day, please talk to our team. We'd be delighted to support you.
Sharing opportunities for young people and teachers to understand your industry
By hosting teacher encounter events, you can help equip teachers with insights from your industry to help them better advise and support students as they make crucial decisions about their future careers. Teacher encounters can be delivered as a group session or on a 1:1 basis.
91% of teachers have said teacher encounter events improved their confidence in having career related conversations with their students.
Teacher Encounter events can include:
- Guidance on the different pathways to access the sector such as apprenticeships, vocational training routes, universities etc.
- Link sector/business to the curriculum and understand the skills and behaviours students needs to access the industry.
- Discussion about the different skills such as soft/transferable skills for students to learn whilst at school.
- Insight into the local labour market and explore the pathways into various businesses for diverse roles and careers.
Interested in inviting teachers to learn about your sector? We're ready to help you create a brilliant event.
Discover tools and resources from the Careers and Enterprise Company to help you create great teacher encounters.
More ways to support young people
- Volunteer through ‘Give an Hour’ and support one-off careers events in schools. You will be notified of the events and can choose if you wish to get involved.
- Join more than 300 businesses UK wide who want to help improve the lives of young people by becoming a cornerstone employer.
Our cornerstone employers
