Businesses urged to help schools and colleges shape futures

Businesses were today urged to help develop the skilled workforce of the future – by playing their part as Enterprise Advisers.

The Marches Careers Hub says it wants to recruit more advisers from the region’s business community to help inspire the workforce of the future, shape careers programmes and bridge the gap between the classroom and workplace.

The hub – which is delivered by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership for the Careers and Enterprise Company in partnership with Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin councils – works to transform careers education by linking education and training providers with the business community.

Andriané Usherwood-Brown, Strategic Careers Hub lead, said the Hub wanted to build on a highly successful past 12 months by recruiting more Enterprise Advisers to provide strategic support for leadership teams at schools and colleges.

“We now have 54 Enterprise Advisers working with schools and colleges across the Marches and playing a vital part in giving an insight into the world of work.

“But we know there is a huge pool of talent in the business community which is not yet represented, and we are urging as many as them as possible to get involved and play their part in the development of our future talent.

“The Enterprise Adviser scheme has an important role to play in ensuring schools and colleges develop careers programmes to support all their students and highlight the wide range of opportunities available. And it can help ensure that school and college leavers are ready for the world of work when the time comes to start their careers.

“You don’t have to be an expert in careers advice and guidance to be an Enterprise Adviser, just use your business knowledge and experience to be a critical friend who provides strategic support or utilises their expertise to support the development of the future work.”

Hollie Whittles, a director of Purple Frog Systems and Fraggleworks in Telford, said there were huge rewards in taking part.

“I love volunteering my time as an Enterprise Adviser to help support careers strategy at Haberdashers’ Adams School in Newport. It is vital that all students have the opportunity to engage with employers and understand the pathways available to them as they start their journey into the world of work.”

The Marches LEP Careers Hub supports its network of Enterprise Advisers through a team of dedicated enterprise co-ordinators and provides a range of practical resources and opportunities to access careers education best practice. They can also benefit from peer support from other volunteers and widen their own professional networks.

In the past 12 months the Marches Careers Hub has achieved sustained improvements against all eight Gatsby Benchmarks – the industry standard for assessing world-class careers provision.

It has also received more than 31,000 live views for a series of labour market sector-based broadcasts run throughout the year – with a further 12,700 views on demand, whilst 4,410 students and 113 teachers used its innovative Start in the Marches local labour market platform to find vital information about jobs and career opportunities.

More than 2,500 students and young people also took part in the hub’s Future Skills Questionnaire. To help shape the future by volunteering as an Enterprise Adviser, visit: Enterprise Advisers & Employers at Marches Careers Hub