Bexley Education Business Partnership encourages and welcomes volunteers from both business and the community to get involved in its varied range of activities in order to raise the achievement and expectations of young people in Bexley schools and colleges.

Benefits to employer

Employer engagement can benefit your business and employees in many ways:
• Giving them fresh ideas and perspectives that can help deliver their business objectives;
• Helping them to keep abreast of modern qualifications and developments in education;
• Providing opportunities to demonstrate the jobs and careers available within their organisation (or employment sector) and to find recruits from a regular supply of school leavers who are more "job ready", thereby helping to reduce their recruitment and training costs;
• Providing opportunities to contribute to local communities and to build links which will enhance the profile and reputation of their own organisation and sector;
• Providing opportunities to contribute directly to young people's education, through influencing their attitudes towards work and helping them to develop their capabilities; and
• Providing motivational and personal development opportunities for those members of their staff who are directly involved with young people and their schools and colleges through broadening their own perspectives, developing their communication and management skills and increasing their sense of responsibility, self confidence, self esteem and job satisfaction.

How can you help?

Employers can get involved in many different ways such as:
• Offering work placements / work shadowing for students
• Hosting a teacher for a day to understand your business
• Helping students with interview practice
• Mentoring a Diploma student (face to face or e-mentoring)
• Visiting a school or college to make a presentation or work with students for 1-2 hours
• Hosting student taster sessions for small groups of students to understand your business for 1-2 hours either in the workplace or in school
• Providing resources to help students eg job descriptions, application forms, policies etc
• Explaining to students about career opportunities and progression routes and the qualifications / qualities required
• Helping teachers to plan a new Diploma line by sharing your knowledge and expertise
• Being a local business champion for the Diploma line and encouraging other business colleagues to work with schools
• Being a Reading or Number Partner to a primary pupil to provide encouragement and boost self-confidence
• Being a Young Enterprise adviser to secondary pupils to promote citizenship and key skills by using the world of business as a theme.

Who do you contact?

For advice or further information on any issues regarding employer engagement, please contact Felicity Carne, EBP Manager, on 020 8836 8345 or felicity.carne@bexley.gov.uk