The Schools Partnership Team
The School Partnership Team matches business volunteers to schools and colleges for strategic work, promotion of progression pathways after year 11 and utilises labour market information to raise the aspirations of young people in the Leeds City Region. Schools and colleges in our network belong to: West Yorkshire Careers Hub or members in the Enterprise Adviser Network.
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How you can help
The Enterprise Adviser Network
We connect business volunteers called Enterprise Advisers to schools and colleges in the West Yorkshire region, to enable businesses to play a central role in shaping skilled workforces for the future. This is achieved through using labour market information, effective talent management and investment in training. We work strategically with Enterprise Advisers, schools and colleges to prepare young people for their best next steps, and bridge the gap between business and education.
We currently have over 185 schools in the West Yorkshire Careers Hub, supporting over 158,000 students, of which 32,000 are eligible for Free School Meals. Over the past six years we have worked to connect over 580 business volunteers with schools.
With the support of our Enterprise Coordinators, Enterprise Advisers work directly with school and college careers leads to improve and embed careers plans that are suitable for the needs of the local and wider West Yorkshire labour markets, both now and in the future.
Impact
Working with the school or college, the Enterprise Adviser’s business experience, knowledge and contacts make a huge impact to the partnership, and together they directly enhance a schools or colleges’ careers offer. This improves the employability and skills of young people, reduces the likeliness of NEET (not in employment, education or training), increases sustained employment and enhances career outcomes of the young people in our region.
A young person who has four or more encounters with an employer is 86% less likely to be unemployed or not in education or training, and can earn up to 18% more in their career.
By combining the knowledge and expertise of business and education, and working together towards meeting the eight Gatsby Benchmarks, we are able to support inclusive growth and the needs of West Yorkshire’s employers, while putting the long-term needs of our communities and the people who live and work in West Yorkshire at the heart of everything we do.
Benefits to your business
Becoming an Enterprise Adviser allows you to meet and interact with your future workforce and customers, raise awareness of your graduate or apprenticeship programmes, and support regional economic priorities. It can also form part of your corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitment.
Support to you as a volunteers though our team of Enterprise Coordinators
Members of the Schools Partnership team, the Enterprise Coordinators (ECs) work closely with secondary schools and colleges in each local authority area. They understand the individual needs of their area and tailor support for each school and business they work with.
An Enterprise Coordinator can support you to understand the careers education landscape and make meaningful difference to young people’s lives. They will talk you through the different options for engaging with education, and provide training, expertise and local connections.
Find out more
If you’d like to become an Enterprise Adviser, complete our online application form. If you’d like to know more, email EnterpriseAdvisers@the-lep.com and one of the team will be in touch.
Connect with us and work with the West Yorkshire Careers Hub
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority brings together the local authorities of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield with the LEP. They work in partnership, to develop and deliver policies, programmes and services which directly benefit the people of West Yorkshire. The overall vision is to create a West Yorkshire that is prosperous, well connected, safe, inclusive and a hotbed of creativity and sustainability.
In May 2021, Tracy Brabin was elected Mayor of West Yorkshire, representing the interests of 2.3 million people across the region.
“We want to make sure that wherever you live, whatever your parents do, you’ve got the chance to really fulfil your potential” – Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Young people are at the heart of this and through the West Yorkshire Careers Hub we work directly with education professionals to achieve a gold standard careers system so our region’s young residents have the skills, information, advice and guidance they need to reach their full potential.
Delivered by Schools Partnership Team within the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and co-funded by the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC). Our work is led by Combined Authority members and the LEP Board. With yearly plans approved by our advisory group which consists of key strategic partners from across the region.
Our objective through the West Yorkshire Careers Hub is to provide free support to the region’s secondary schools and colleges to have a modern 21st century, gold-standard careers system, rooted in local information and careers support. In addition to mainstream schools and colleges, SEND/ PRU’s and alternative provision schools, apprenticeship and in-work training providers and businesses of every size and sector can join our hub.
Critical in our mission is the support of West Yorkshire employers who work with us as part of our Cornerstone Employer Group; through our network of business volunteers; and other professional bodies such as CIPD.
This support will enable all young people in West Yorkshire to raise their aspirations and will contribute to their individual motivation, resilience, employability, destinations and social capital.