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Regional businesses invited to help shape careers education in schools and colleges

Across the North East, partnerships have been formed between people working in sectors from marketing to manufacturing and their local school or college.

Michelle Rainbow, Skills Director at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) explains how the Enterprise Adviser Network works, and why more business leaders should get involved.

Enterprise Advisers are people who’ve signed up to support the senior management team at their local school or college to provide high quality careers guidance reflective of the needs of local businesses and employers.

We have a fantastic network of over 150 business leaders and employers who have volunteered to share their experience and knowledge in order to bridge the gap between education and industry; by embedding careers in the curriculum and providing young people with real-world experiences of the workplace.

It is now more important than ever that we prepare young people for the future world of work and the skills needed to succeed. That’s why we want to expand, diversify and strengthen our Enterprise Adviser Network. We welcome representation from a diverse range of employers, and from businesses of all sizes and across all sectors that want to engage with and support a local school or college.

We recognise one size doesn’t fit all, so whether you’re a sole trader or a multinational company, we can support you to engage with education in a way that suits you and your organisation.

We want all young people across the North East to have the opportunity to interact with businesses and employers, and some great examples of engagement already exist.

At St Robert of Newminster Catholic School in Washington, our Enterprise Adviser, Carole White - who is CEO at TEDCO Business Support - secured ten businesses to meet year 10 pupils so they could learn about careers in specific sectors.

At Bishop Auckland College, employability skills workshops and virtual work experience was organised by the college’s Enterprise Adviser from Bowmer & Kirkland construction.

Businesses in our region genuinely want to support their local communities and help young people build a brighter future. I want to thank every person who’s already helped make a difference through the Enterprise Adviser Network, especially throughout the pandemic.

We’d like more businesses to join us to bridge the gap between education and employment so we can continue to inspire the next generation about the fantastic career opportunities here in the North East.

Sign up to become an Enterprise Adviser by visiting the North East Growth Hub.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by North East LEP .