Enterprise Advisers bring the world of work into the classroom, helping young people understand the opportunities available to them and develop the skills employers value most. By sharing their expertise, career journeys and industry connections, they inspire students to think bigger about their futures. In this impact story, find out how one Enterprise Adviser helped transform careers education at a local school through hands-on workshops, mock interviews and employer-led activities that boosted confidence, raised aspirations and gave students a meaningful insight into life beyond school.
One Berkshire school identified a significant gap in employer engagement and meaningful encounters with the world of work across multiple year groups. Although students were motivated, many lacked real world understanding of different career pathways, professional expectations, and the skills needed to enter the workplace. Staff feedback and student voice highlighted the need for diverse employer input, more consistent encounters, and clear guidance on building employability skills—particularly in the areas of confidence, communication, and awareness of professional networks.
To strengthen employer engagement, the school recruited an Enterprise Adviser who is also a business owner with extensive real world experience. Working closely with the Careers Lead, they supported the development of a structured employer engagement programme across the academic year.
Key actions included:
• Participating as a panel speaker, sharing their career journey, and bringing honest, relatable insight into entrepreneurship.
• Supporting a Career Bingo activity for younger students, helping introduce job roles in a fun and accessible format.
• Delivering mock interviews, providing constructive feedback to help students develop communication and employability skills.
• Leading LinkedIn workshops, showing older students how to build a professional online presence, understand networking, and prepare for post 16 opportunities.
• Offering ongoing professional guidance, maintaining regular communication with school staff, and tailoring sessions to meet the needs of different year groups.
These actions helped create a more consistent and impactful employer presence throughout the school year.
Over the course of the year, the Enterprise Adviser became a valued and consistent presence within the school, helping to bring careers education to life for students across Years 8, 10, 12 and 13 through a programme of employer-led activities. From building confidence in mock interviews and professional communication to introducing younger students to the world of work through interactive Career Bingo sessions, each activity provided meaningful opportunities to develop career awareness and workplace skills. Older students gained practical insight into recruitment and professional networking through LinkedIn workshops, while staff benefited from the support of a trusted employer partner who brought authenticity, external expertise and real-world perspective to the careers programme. The partnership also contributed to stronger performance against Gatsby Benchmarks 5 and 7, helping the school create richer, more impactful encounters that leave students better informed, better prepared and more confident about their future pathways.
To maintain momentum and continue strengthening the programme, the school plans to:
• Further embed employer engagement by expanding the number of events and involving additional departments.
• Continue working closely with the Enterprise Advisor to tailor activities to curriculum needs and student aspirations.
• Identify new opportunities for encounters, including workplace visits, industry aligned projects, or mentoring.
• Monitor impact through student voice, staff feedback, and destination data to ensure the programme continues to deliver meaningful outcomes.
• Build on successes by encouraging more employers to get involved, using this strong partnership as a model for future collaboration.
The school recognises the Enterprise Adviser as a highly committed, enthusiastic, and professional partner whose support has created long lasting benefits for students. They exemplify the value of employer engagement, and the difference one individual can make in shaping young people’s futures.
Learn more and become an Enterprise Adviser here
