The Role of the Enterprise Adviser

This document explains the role of the Enterprise Adviser and is intended to support you in your decision to become part of Worcestershire's network of Enterprise Adviser volunteers. The Worcestershire LEP and our partner organisations will draw on their business networks to encourage high calibre individuals like you to come forward for this role. The Careers & Enterprise Company will also actively encourage national employers and employer organisations to put forward suitable candidates.

Enterprise Advisers

Enterprise Advisers will be the cornerstone of The Careers & Enterprise Company’s national programme. They will become part of a nationwide network of high calibre volunteers with experience of employment or self-employment. These advisors will work with Worcestershire's Enterprise Coordinator to support schools and colleges to navigate the range of possible employer interactions and to help them create a whole school strategy for careers, enterprise and employer engagement. Equipped with a toolkit developed by The Careers & Enterprise Company and localised by the Worcestershire LEP, Enterprise Advisers will work closely with the leadership team of a specific school.

Enterprise Advisers will be:

Passionate about motivating young people, supporting independent choice, and supporting positive outcomes for young people;

Able to work effectively with employers and schools;

Be well connected to employers of all sizes and the self-employed and have established networks and contacts;

Have a sound knowledge and understanding of the needs of the local labour market and a willingness to promote these;

Motivated to lead engagement with schools in the local area and help them understand how effectively they are motivating young people and preparing them for the world of work; and

Have knowledge of the support available in local area and an understanding of how young people and the school could benefit from this support.

An Enterprise Adviser will:

Be drawn from large or small employers, be self-employed or, in some cases, recently retired;

Follow the LEP Enterprise Adviser induction process and complete the required DBS checks;

Be committed to supporting a school for at least 1 year, committing a minimum of one day per month;

With the support of the senior leadership team, review and report on the school’s current careers, enterprise and employer engagement strategy

With the support of the senior leadership team, develop, shape or add value to the school’s careers, enterprise and employer engagement strategy;

Support the school to enhance the organisation and facilitation of careers related activity aligned to the "Gatsby" benchmarks

Use their contacts to encourage a wider group of employers or the self-employed to work with the school or college to help them enhance their careers, enterprise and employer engagement strategies;

Join the Enterprise Adviser network group and attend the network meetings;

Utilise the resources provided by the Enterprise Coordinator such as the toolkit;

Ensure that all activities are captured through case studies and activity review records

Actively encourage businesses across the Enterprise advisors networks and contacts to offer active support to enhance delivery of careers related activity within schools

Promote the Worcestershire Apprenticeship Brand and support schools to raise awareness of the apprenticeship opportunities across Worcestershire.

Promote the use of the Connecting Schools and Business programmes range of online tools to support the delivery of your assigned schools careers, enterprise and employer engagement strategies; and

Encourage your assigned schools participation in local and district careers events.

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Enterprise Advisers will not:

Use their position to promote or sell services of any sort to schools or colleges.

Duplicate existing activity: they will be mindful of other organisations working locally and be clear that their role is complementary to any existing activity.

It is important that there are no conflicts of interest.

Deliver activity directly to students or be required to work on other careers related programmes

Enterprise Coordinators will offer Enterprise Advisers:

Advice, guidance and on-going support;

Access to The Careers & Enterprise Company toolkit, details of the range of online tools available through the Connecting Schools and Business programme

Details of the Enterprise Advisers’ network meetings and contact details to arrange for partner organisation schemes and careers related events to be delivered within your assigned school

One to one meetings.

Enterprise Advisers will be supported by the local Enterprise Coordinator(s) who will:

Establish, equip and support a high-profile and high-performing Enterprise Adviser network matched to local schools:

Increase the participation levels from schools and businesses supporting the Connecting Schools and Business programme

Introduce and match Enterprise Advisers to local schools;

Ensure the Enterprise Advisers have the support that they need to fulfil the role and help them make the best use of the opportunities available; and

Ensure the experience is managed to a consistently high standard across the cluster.

Understand the business and provider offers for schools and colleges in the area and make this knowledge available to Enterprise Advisers and schools.

This is likely to include:

Helping to share ‘what works’ and enabling collaboration between Enterprise Advisers and schools within the network;

Introducing and facilitating the use of The Careers & Enterprise Company information, and understand the full range of online tools through the Connecting Schools and Business programme;

Ensuring that a local Enterprise Advisers’ can offer support and share best practice with other Enterprise Advisers;

Introducing Enterprise Advisers to local resources and contacts and helping them make best use of opportunities available throughout Worcestershire;

Monitoring and evaluating the work of the Enterprise Advisers.

KEY WORCESTERSHIRE PARTNERS INCLUDE:

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