Careers- Link with Employers
If you are an employer, FE/HE or other provider who would like to work with us as part of our careers provision please take a look at our Provider Access Policy and contact Leoni McManaman, Careers Coordinator – leoni.mcmanaman@sjchs.uk or on 01900 873 290.
Why volunteer your time?
As an employer, you should never underestimate the positive influence you can have on young people. Sharing your experience and workplace with young people allows them to meet role models and see examples of jobs they might like to do in the future. However much time you can offer, you can make a real difference.
Sharing your career journey can be powerful. Your insights, unique industry knowledge and experience can make a difference to the options a young person considers for their future career.
You could be the role model who changes a young person’s life, just by showing them what is possible.
Benefits to your business
It helps give young people the skills and knowledge that they need while also potentially finding new recruits for your business.
You can make a difference to the future career choices that a young person makes.
When deciding whether to provide young people with work experience/employer engagement activities you should consider all the benefits they not only bring to the student, but also to your business.
- Employee engagement and development: employees can build on their supervisory and leadership skills whilst sharing their knowledge and expertise with young people.
- Insights into your business: understand how young people view your business.
- Access to skills: tap into the minds of digital natives.
- Build business-relevant skills in young people to support your recruitment strategy and develop your future workforce.
- Give back to your community and build relationships with schools and colleges.
- Raise a positive profile and bust myths about your business and industry.
- Embrace online delivery to enable more young people to gain valuable insights into careers and industry opportunities.
Your unique industry knowledge and experience can bring the world of work to life and make a difference to the options a young person considers for their careers.
Careers events
We run a series of careers events for each year group and are always keen for employers and institutions to attend.
| Activity | Description |
| Employer Talk | Share your career journey. Whether in an assembly, classroom setting or hosted virtually, sharing your career story is a great way to help students understand the realities of the world of work and inspire them about a career path they may never have considered. |
| World of work/work ready skills | World of Work Days focus on being work ready. These vary from school to school and may include some of the following:
· CV Preparation · Interview Skills · Job Research and Application Processes · Personal Finance/Budgeting · Local Labour Market Information · Employability Skills
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| Yr10 and 11 options fairs | These events are aimed at helping young people decide their best next step – which might be A levels, vocational and technical qualifications at college, starting an apprenticeship or selecting the right degree or apprenticeship degree course. As an employer, if you offer apprenticeships, or degree apprenticeships opportunities for young people to join your organisation, this is an ideal event to showcase your training programme and what you have to offer.
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| Career speed networking | Career speed networking events involve a range of volunteers coming together to chat to groups of young people about their jobs. The aim is to introduce young people to a wide range of jobs that are available to them, broadening their horizons and encouraging them to aim high.
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| Mock interviews | Schools and colleges often provide opportunities for their students to practice their interview skills and they are always looking for employers to support them. A mock interview is a shorter version of an actual job interview. It gives young people an opportunity to practice what to say and do during an interview and get feedback. Whether it’s face-to-face or virtual, a mock interview is useful in helping students review their answers to common interview questions and assessing other factors such as mannerisms and body language. |
| Work experience | Work experience for young people comes in many different forms from one day to a full week spent working in an organisation. Work experience is time spent in a workplace learning about a job role, a company or a career sector. Most work experience is unpaid.
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| Careers Fair | Careers Fairs are networking events for employers to showcase their industry/sector to prospective future employees. These are normally free to attend and take place in the education setting. Duration of the events can vary and in some cases Parents/Carers are invited to accompany their young person.
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| Placements on work related courses | Courses like T-Levels, BTECs and some degrees include work experience as an integral and often mandatory element of the course. It might be one day a week over a few months or full time for a few weeks. This is an ideal opportunity for you to offer young people already in your sector an opportunity to gain experience and enables you to meet potential new recruits. Contact your local FE college or University to find out how you can get involved.
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| Company visits | Company visits offer an inspiring and informative opportunity for a group of students to visit your workplace, learn more about your business and experience aspects of the different future career opportunities available to them. Visits could include tours, workshops or events and usually last a half or full day. If you offer educational visits already, consider building in career talks from younger employees, trainees or interns as part of that visit. |
| Mentoring | Employers could provide 1-1 mentoring for particular students within a school or college to help them gain a better understanding of certain professions or employment areas whilst discussing their individual careers aspirations. This support can really help to boost a student’s confidence, self-esteem and develop their employability skills. The amount of time required will vary from school to school but on average it would be 1 hour per month per student. |
| Curriculum Offer | Do you recall sitting in some lessons at school and wondering what the point of that particular subject was and whether you were ever going to need that knowledge again? A few years later and many of us are now using what we learned at school in our jobs. You can bring subjects to life by assisting departments in school to link subject matter to your business sector, and build meaningful career links and employability skills into their curriculum. |
| Apprenticeship talks | It’s vitally important all young people are aware of all the options available to them post 16. A great way of them understanding more about their options when it comes to apprenticeships is to hear from current or recently graduated apprentices. Directly hearing about the experiences of apprentices will help to ensure equal careers guidance for both academic and vocational pathways, and challenge views about the suitably of different apprenticeships across genders. |
| Enterprise projects and competitions | Developing enterprising skills and behaviours in our young people is really important for Cumbria’s future economy. We need more people to start and grow their own businesses to respond to new market opportunities and create future jobs. Running enterprise projects and competitions encourages our young people to build their careers in Cumbria. Many of the Cumbria Careers Hub partners offer opportunities for employers to work with them to deliver enterprise projects and competitions in school. |
Useful links
Employers & Volunteers – Cumbria Careers Hub (careershubcumbria.co.uk)
