For young people, engaging with employers and experiencing workplaces is key in helping them find their best next step. 

There are many ways you can support your local school or college:

Take part in a careers activity

You could speak to a class about your job and the sector you work in, carry out a mock interview or take part in a careers fair. Your insights, unique industry knowledge and experience can make a difference to the options a young person considers for their future career. 

Provide a workplace experience 

Could you provide a tour of your workplace or a work experience placement? Workplace experiences help young people gain insight into the world of work (including the skills required), help them make future career decisions and builds motivation in the here and now.  As well as directly supporting young people, there are key benefits to businesses, from personal development for staff, to identifying new talent and building pipelines for the future. 

Offer a teacher encounter 

Teacher encounters can help teachers stay up to date with your industry and bring this to life in their lessons. Inviting teachers into your workplace for a few hours or a few days provides an opportunity for teachers to see and learn about the different career pathways relevant to their subjects, and to observe how their subject is applied practically in business. Teachers can then use these insights to enrich their curriculum teaching and ensure young people know about your industry and the skills needed to thrive in your business. 

Become an Enterprise Adviser 

Enterprise Advisers are volunteers from the public, private or voluntary sectors who work with an individual school or college. They use their skills, business experience and networks to help their school or college develop a strong careers programme that supports all students. We are looking for people with a passion for wanting to make a difference, that have the skill set and knowledge to help steer the strategic direction of careers in a school or college. You don't need to be a careers expert, you will be providing your employer perspective and reflecting the labour market and therefore it’s your individual experience that matters. 

Become a Cornerstone Employer 

Cornerstone Employers are a flagship community businesses across Swindon and Wiltshire. They work with the Careers Hubs team and other employers to deliver projects that support world class careers education in the local area; engage their staff to join our network of Enterprise Advisers; and inspire other businesses to join our mission to transform the lives of young people in our area. Cornerstone Employers tell us getting involved in their local community through this programme does everything from making their recruitment more effective, to making their talent pipeline stronger, and ensuring their connection to local people is deeper.

Find out more

If you would like to find out more about supporting local schools or colleges, please email [email protected].