Become an enterprise adviser

Are you ready to make a difference as an Enterprise Adviser?

Our Enterprise Advisers come from all walks of life, different industries, different experiences. But they all bring one thing.

A desire to help the young people of today.

Enterprise Advisers work with local schools and colleges to shape and inspire young people’s futures, create opportunities for young people and bridge the gap between education and work.

It’s a rewarding, exciting role you can shape, make a difference in and give something back to the young people in your community. You don’t need specific qualifications or experience – everyone has something to offer.

We are looking to expand our Enterprise Adviser network and would love to hear from you.

► Broaden young people’s minds

► Bridge the gap between education and the working world

► Pass on your learning

► Share your career journey

Why do people
choose to become an Enterprise Adviser?

Becoming an Enterprise Adviser is the opportunity to give something back, to make a difference in someone’s life.

There are a variety of reasons why the Enterprise Adviser’s in our community decided to take on the role. For many of them, they’re motivated to provide young people with the support and advice that they wished they’d had at their age. Opening their eyes to career possibilities beyond the traditional education system or equipping them with real life skills such as CV writing and interview skills.

Whatever their personal motivations, the reason, and truly, that comes up time after time after time is that they want to make a difference, pay it forward and make an impact in young people’s lives.

“The world is changing so rapidly,
how do you advise a young person about it?
You open their eyes”.

Richard Wishart, Enterprise Advisor

“Every Enterprise Advisor role is different, with different experiences and different schools, but they are all tied together through bringing the reality of the working world into school.”

Dave Hallwood, Enterprise Advisor

“Everyone has something to contribute. It’s not so much about where you are professionally today or the role you have, it’s about work and life experiences and sharing those so young people have different and beneficial perspectives.”

Dyfrig Jenkins Enterprise Advisor

“I am passionate about apprenticeships and also engineering & manufacture and enjoy supporting events in schools and colleges to help and inspire the next generation of engineers."

Martin Lawrence, Enterprise Advisor

What can you bring to the table?

Everyone has something to offer. Young people benefit most from working with different people - with different backgrounds, experiences and career paths. There’s no right or wrong job or industry that an Enterprise Adviser should be from, what matters most is your willingness to engage.

Through the application process we’ll uncover what help and support you can give to ensure we’re matching you with the right school or college. Regular meetings with the school or college will take place to go through their plans and upcoming schedule, affording you the opportunity to input where you can in an advisory capacity.

An Enterprise Adviser’s role is to open a young person’s eyes to the world outside education. Every one of our Enterprise Advisers have had a different journey to where they are now, and every one of those stories will make an impact on someone when it’s shared.

Hear more and meet our enterprise advisers ►

What does being an Enterprise Adviser involve?

The reality of your role as an Enterprise Adviser is very much driven by the school or college. Each one is different and that means every role is different. There’s no one size fits all.

You will work closely with a local secondary school or college to create strong links between employment and education, to support their careers lead and provide a valuable employers opinion. You can engage your own network to put a wide variety of careers opportunities at the heart of young people’s education.

On a practical level, this might include supporting an annual careers fair, running small group workshops or providing talks in your school.

Through the application process to become an Enterprise Adviser we’ll uncover what skills, connections and knowledge you bring and that will be used to choose which school or college you’re best suited to.

“There’s so much pressure on young people to know what they want to do, the biggest impact you can have is reassuring them it’s ok not to know.”

Peter Rushmore, Enterprise Advisor

What are the benefits?

There’s no doubt that our Enterprise Advisers make an impact. We hear this time and time again from schools, students and our EAs themselves.

When you leave school or college knowing that the young people you spoke to were really invested in your conversation and will carry it with them. It’s those moments that make it worthwhile and make our Enterprise Advisers keep on going back.

For our Enterprise Adviser community, it’s personal benefits like that which are the draw to this role. The knowledge that their life experiences, struggles and successes can be used to offer reassurance and opportunity to young people - helping them learn about the working world and give them experience and skills they can draw on in their future.

There are also benefits to your business. It’s an opportunity to develop your leadership skills, to grow your business network and to access a diverse talent pool for your business.

How can you start making a difference?

Applying to become an Enterprise Adviser is simple. Complete the form on our website and we’ll get in touch within 5 days. Your local network will talk through the role in more detail and discuss any preferences you may have as well as your background and skills.

From there we’ll look to match you with a school or college, though this can around 4 weeks to ensure we have the right pairing. Your local Enterprise Network will then support you throughout your time as an Enterprise Adviser and be there to answer any questions you may have.

If the thought of making a difference, empowering young people and inspiring the next generation of workers has piqued your interest, complete the form, get in touch and explore the next step.

Support your local school or college

Please email us to register your interest in becoming an Enterprise Adviser and helping to shape the futures of young people. You will be contacted by a member of our local Careers Hub team.

Email: [email protected]