Local businesses - we need your expertise!

At Pewsey Vale School we are busy growing your employees of the future. We need your help to raise their career aspirations, develop their employability skills and learn more about the exciting industries in Wiltshire.

Inspire young minds:
Being part of our business support network will provide you with moments of great satisfaction but striving to make a difference can also be an exciting challenge! Having employers like you helping to inspire young minds and transform attitudes through a range of activities and opportunities is the foundation of an excellent careers programme as set out by the Gatsby Foundation’s eight Benchmarks of good practice https://resources.careersandenterprise.co.uk/browse-category/gatsby-benchmarks and the Careers and Enterprise Company https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/.

Pewsey Vale School has the benefit of a key business volunteer who works with us on a strategic level, encouraging the development of our careers programme and connecting us to the business community across the county. This role is recognised nationally as an Enterprise Adviser (EA) and they are part of the Swindon and Wiltshire Careers Hub community of support driving the connection between careers education and the business sector.

The value that employers bring when they support career education in schools and colleges is well evidenced. For example, a young person who has four or more meaningful encounters with an employer during their school years is 86% less likely to be unemployed or not in education or training. Whether your aim is to improve social mobility, inspire and develop the future workforce or give back to the community in which you operate, your support will be greatly appreciated by students, their parents/carers and school staff.

It’s a relationship that benefits everyone. Employees working with schools can develop new skills that benefit their employer and research suggests that employer-supported volunteering leads to increased employee engagement. Depending on the time and resources you have available, there are many ways to get involved. Please visit this website for more information about how you can get involved https://swlep.co.uk/programmes-swlep/careers-hub/employers

Ways to support:

• Be part of our Mock interviews with Year 10 students and help them structure their CVs
• Give an inspiring talk based on your industry or job role
• Provide a coaching/mentoring service through a structured programme
• Run a hands-on workshop with activities relating to your area of expertise
• Be part of our discussions about pathways after school, eg apprenticeships
• Help champion specific issues and challenge barriers in the workplace around gender stereotyping, disability etc
• Help bring a subject lesson to life by linking it to your industry
• Offer a work experience placement for students at your business premises
• Become an ambassador supporting employment routes for young people with special educational needs and disabilities and offer a work experience placement that is co-supported by the school
• Provide a Supported Internship opportunity.

What to expect…
By getting involved you will not only be supporting future workforce development and helping to broaden the minds of young people but you will also be developing new skills for your staff, forging community links and building a positive profile for your company.

We will support you throughout your visit to us to ensure we maximise the use of your valuable time. Our Careers Leader is Tracey Archdale (tar@pewsey-vale.wilts.sch.uk ) and they will:

• Be your main point of contact for all enquiries
• Organise pre-meets/discussions/information for activities you sign up to
• Provide you details of the local arrangements including parking, facilities and our safeguarding policy.
• Conduct a short evaluation with you to ensure we are getting things right.
• With your permission add you to our network and keep you up to date with future activities.