An Enterprise Adviser is a volunteer business professional who works closely with schools or colleges to strengthen careers education and better connect learning with the world of work. Chirodip Basu Roy is a Chief Marketing Officer who has volunteered as an Enterprise Adviser for the Careers Hub for the last three years. Read below to hear about his experience and why being an Enterprise Adviser is a great way to make a meaningful difference to our young people in Berkshire.
I recorded a case study piece for the Berkshire Careers Hub, focusing on my passion for being an Enterprise Adviser and the importance of work experience and employer engagement with schools. Sitting alongside educators, employers and local partners, one message becomes clearer than ever: young people need employers to show up.
People often ask why someone who spends their time raising capital, mentoring business leaders and supporting growth companies chooses to invest time in school engagement. The answer is simple. The businesses I mentor consistently struggle to find capable, work‑ready people. Those future employees are sitting in classrooms right now. If employers do not engage with their development, we cannot complain about the quality of candidates entering the workforce. This is not corporate social responsibility; it is business strategy applied to your future talent pipeline.
Becoming an Enterprise Adviser has shown me just how powerful employer involvement can be. When businesses share their insights, offer workplace experiences or simply speak honestly about their sector, young people gain clarity, confidence and motivation. They begin to understand which skills matter, which behaviours employers value and what opportunities exist beyond the school gates.
Modern work experience is no longer about shadowing someone for a day; it is about helping students understand how the world of work operates, what employers expect and how they can prepare themselves for future success.
By engaging directly with schools, employers play a crucial role in shaping the skills, attitudes and aspirations of their future workforce. Their involvement raises awareness of sector opportunities, helps attract new talent and strengthens connections with the local community. It also supports social mobility by giving all young people, regardless of background, access to meaningful insights and experiences. Importantly, employer engagement influences the relevance of the curriculum and the development of employability skills, ensuring that what students learn aligns more closely with the realities of the modern workplace.
My experience as an EA has shown me that even small contributions—an hour’s talk, a workplace visit, a mock interview session—can have a transformative impact on a young person’s confidence and direction. If more businesses stepped forward, the collective impact on Berkshire’s talent pipeline would be extraordinary. Employers have the power to shape the skills and attitudes of their future workforce, raise awareness of their sector, attract new talent, strengthen community links, support social mobility and influence the relevance of the curriculum.
If you are a business leader, employer or professional who wants to make a meaningful difference, I strongly encourage you to contact the Berkshire Careers Hub. Their team will support you, match you with a school and help you shape impactful experiences for young people. To get involved or find out more, please contact the Berkshire Careers Hub at [email protected]
Your future workforce is already here. They just need you to help them see what’s possible.
Read the Chiro’s full LinkedIn article here
