Business Education Partners

Business Education Partner

Your business experience can inspire and engage young people. Your knowledge can help them make informed choices as they plan their next steps towards a career.

As a Business Education Partner (BEP), you have the opportunity to make a real difference to young people’s futures while contributing your professional expertise in a way that fits your skills, experience and availability.

We recognise that every volunteer brings different strengths. That’s why we offer a range of focused, short-term projects that allow you to choose an area where you can have the greatest impact.

Whether your expertise is in strategic planning, recruitment, communications, employer engagement, networking, data analysis or education partnerships, there is a project to match your interests and experience.

What is a Business Education Partner?

As a Business Education Partner (BEP), you will act as a bridge between education and the world of work, helping schools and colleges create meaningful opportunities that prepare young people for their future careers.

Business Education Partners bring valuable professional expertise, industry knowledge and business networks to support careers education, employer engagement and workforce readiness. Rather than committing to a long-term volunteering role, you can contribute through a range of focused projects that match your skills, experience and availability.

Whether your background is in leadership, strategic planning, recruitment, communications, employer engagement, networking, data analysis, skills development or education partnerships, you can help schools and colleges strengthen their careers programmes and improve outcomes for young people.

By sharing your expertise, insights and connections, you will help educators better understand employer needs, support students to develop essential skills, and create stronger links between learning and future employment opportunities.

As a Business Education Partner, you can:

Share professional expertise to support careers education and employability.
Help schools and colleges build stronger links with employers and industry.
Contribute to short-term projects aligned to your interests and experience.
Support Careers Leaders to develop sustainable, impactful careers programmes.
Inspire and inform young people about future education, training and career pathways.
Help create a talent pipeline that supports local economic growth and social mobility.

This flexible approach allows you to make a meaningful difference while contributing in a way that works for you and your organisation.

Become a Business Education Partner

Project Opportunities

Business Education Partners can support schools and colleges through a variety of flexible projects, typically requiring around 3–6 hours over a few weeks.

Event & Activity Planning
Help design, develop and evaluate meaningful careers fairs, employer encounters, workplace talks and careers-related events. A great fit for professionals with project management, event planning or organisational experience.
Develop Careers Leaders to Prepare Students for Modern Recruitment Practices
Share your expertise in recruitment, interviewing and employer engagement to help Careers Leaders better prepare students for the modern workplace. Suitable for HR professionals, recruiters and team leaders.
Curriculum Links & Labour Market Insight
Support schools to connect classroom learning with the world of work by bringing industry knowledge and labour market insights into curriculum planning.
LinkedIn & Professional Networking
Help schools grow their professional networks, connect with employers and promote careers opportunities through LinkedIn and other digital engagement channels.
Work Experience Advocacy
Champion inclusive, high-quality work experience opportunities using the Equalex Framework, helping more young people access meaningful workplace experiences.
Employer Engagement & Communications
Support schools to build stronger relationships with employers through communications planning, stakeholder engagement strategies and network development. Perfect for those with experience in business development, marketing, communications or relationship management.
Internal Engagement with Senior Leaders & Governors
Help Careers Leaders raise the profile of careers education by engaging school leadership teams and governing boards. Ideal for those with strategic leadership, governance or board-level experience.
Targeted Student Support
Support schools in developing careers activities for specific groups of learners, including students with SEND, those at risk of becoming Not in Employment, Education and Training (NEET), or young people facing barriers to progression.
Audit, Evaluation & Stakeholder Voice
Review surveys, analyse feedback, identify trends and help schools use evidence to improve careers provision. Particularly suited to those with analytical, research or evaluation skills.

Find out more about the projects you could get involved in

Support Schools and Colleges with meaningful Careers Event and Activity Planning

You can support a school or college Careers Leader by helping them plan, develop and evaluate meaningful careers-related events and activities. This short-term project involves reviewing current provision, identifying opportunities to strengthen alignment with the Gatsby Benchmarks, and helping to create engaging activities that meet the needs of students.

Working alongside the Careers Leader, you will provide valuable employer insight to help shape careers experiences, from employer encounters and careers fairs to industry talks, curriculum-linked activities and sector-specific events. You will also help review the impact of activities and make recommendations to inform future careers programme planning.

What you might do:

Review existing careers events and activities against Gatsby Benchmark priorities.
Support the planning and development of employer encounters and careers-related activities.
Identify gaps in provision and opportunities to broaden students’ understanding of careers and employment sectors.
Advise on engaging employers, industry professionals and community partners.
Evaluate the effectiveness of events and recommend improvements for future delivery.

Skills and experience needed:

Planning, organisation and project coordination skills.
Knowledge of workplace expectations, career pathways or employer engagement.
Ability to review feedback and identify opportunities for improvement.
Strong communication and collaborative working skills.

Impact: Your expertise will help schools deliver high-quality careers events and activities that are aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks, provide meaningful encounters with employers, and support young people to make informed decisions about their future education, training and career pathways.

Develop Careers Leaders to Prepare Students for Modern Recruitment Practices

You can support a school or college Careers Leader to strengthen their knowledge, confidence and practice in modern recruitment processes. This short-term project focuses on sharing industry insight and current recruitment processes helping Careers Leaders enhance their careers programme and better prepare students for the world of work. Working alongside the Careers Leader, you will provide practical advice, examples and recommendations that can be embedded into careers education, employer encounters and employability activities across the school or college.

What you might do:

Review current employer encounter activities relating to recruitment practices and identify opportunities for improvement.
Provide insight into modern recruitment and interviewing techniques, including virtual interviews, strengths-based questions and assessment activities.
Support the Careers Leader to develop an action plan for strengthening application and interview preparation across the careers programme.

Skills and experience needed:

Experience of recruitment, interviewing or talent development.
Ability to share practical advice and examples from industry.
Strong communication, coaching and collaborative working skills.

Impact: Your expertise will help Careers Leaders deliver more relevant employability activities and ensure students gain a better understanding of modern recruitment processes. This will contribute to more meaningful employer encounters, improved interview confidence and better preparation for future education, training and employment opportunities.

Help Schools Embed Careers Across the Curriculum

You can support a school or college Careers Leader to strengthen the links between learning and future careers. This short-term project involves using local Labour Market Information (LMI), employer insights and industry expertise to help embed careers education across different subjects and year groups.

Working alongside the Careers Leader, you will help identify opportunities for employers to contribute to curriculum delivery, develop relevant resources, and ensure students understand how their learning connects to future pathways and employment opportunities.

What you might do:

Review local Labour Market Information and identify key growth sectors and skills needs.
• Utilise your sector knowledge help map essential skills, careers and employer links across relevant curriculum subjects.
• Support the development of curriculum resources with employer input.
• Connect teachers with employers who can enhance lessons through real-world examples.
• Advise on approaches to embed careers learning across the whole-school curriculum.

Skills and experience needed:

Knowledge of relevant industry sectors, skills requirements or local labour market trends.
• Ability to build relationships and connect people.
• Experience of working collaboratively and sharing expertise.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills.
• Enthusiasm for helping young people understand the relevance of their learning.

Impact: Your support will help schools create meaningful links between education and employment, enabling students to better understand the opportunities available to them, develop career readiness, and see how their subjects relate to real-world pathways and future success.

Help Schools Use LinkedIn to Build Employer Connections

You can support a school or college Careers Leader to make better use of LinkedIn as a tool for employer engagement. This short-term project involves helping the school develop its professional presence online, grow its network of employer contacts, and use LinkedIn strategically to promote careers activities and volunteering opportunities.

Working alongside the Careers Leader, you will help identify practical ways to connect with local employers, alumni and industry professionals, increasing opportunities for meaningful employer encounters and long-term partnerships.

What you might do:

Review the school’s current LinkedIn presence and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Help create a simple LinkedIn engagement plan aligned to careers objectives.
• Advise on building and growing a network of local employers, alumni and business contacts.
• Support the development of content that showcases careers activities and employer partnerships.
• Share tips on using LinkedIn to identify and connect with potential employer volunteers.
• Help establish approaches for maintaining professional relationships and engagement online.

Skills and experience needed:

Experience using LinkedIn for professional networking, business development or stakeholder engagement.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Understanding of how social media can be used to engage employers and professional networks.
• Ability to provide practical advice and guidance to school staff.
• Enthusiasm for helping schools expand employer connections and opportunities for young people.

Impact: Your support will help schools build a stronger online professional network, connect with a wider range of employers and volunteers, and create more opportunities for students to benefit from employer encounters, workplace insights and career-related learning.

Modern Work Experience Advocate

You can support a school or college Careers Leader by acting as a Work Experience Advocate, helping to strengthen and expand high-quality work experience opportunities through the Equalex Framework. This short-term project involves reviewing current approaches, identifying barriers to participation, and supporting the development of more inclusive and accessible work experience provision for all students.

Working alongside the Careers Leader, you will provide an employer perspective to help schools engage local businesses, promote best practice and ensure work experience opportunities are meaningful, equitable and aligned with student needs and aspirations. You will help schools consider how work experience can support both student outcomes and local workforce priorities.

What you might do:

Review current work experience provision and identify opportunities for improvement.
Support the implementation of the Equalex Framework to increase access and participation.
Help identify and address barriers that may prevent some students from accessing work experience opportunities.
Share employer insights on what makes a high-quality work experience placement.
Support engagement with local employers and industry partners to broaden opportunities.
Provide recommendations to help make work experience more inclusive, meaningful and sustainable.

Skills and experience needed:

Understanding of modern work experience, employability and employer engagement.
Knowledge of workplace expectations and essential skills valued by employers.
Ability to identify opportunities to improve access, inclusion and participation.
Strong communication and collaborative working skills.

Impact: Your expertise will help schools develop more equitable and impactful work experience programmes, ensuring that all young people, regardless of their background or circumstances, have access to meaningful experiences that build confidence, develop workplace skills and support successful transitions into further education, training and employment.

Create an Employer Engagement Strategy

You can support a school or college Careers Leader by helping to strengthen their external engagement and develop valuable partnerships with employers. This short-term project focuses on expanding the school’s employer network and creating opportunities that enrich students’ careers education and future pathways.

Working alongside the Careers Leader, you will help identify potential employers, explore engagement opportunities, and support the development of sustainable relationships that bring real-world experiences and insights into the careers programme.

What you might do:

Review the school’s current employer engagement activity.
Utilise the schools Future Skills Questionnaire data to inform the Employer Engagement Strategy
Identify opportunities to connect with new employers and growth industry sectors.
Introduce relevant contacts from your professional network where appropriate.
Advise on approaches to building and maintaining effective external employer partnerships to create multiple, progressive and meaningful employer encounters.
Advise on appropriate mechanisms to obtain employer feedback to measure impact
Help the Careers Leader develop an external engagement plan aligned to student needs and Gatsby Benchmarks and quality frameworks.

Skills and experience needed:

Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
Experience of working with external stakeholders, customers or partners.
Ability to identify opportunities and make connections across different organisations.
Confidence in engaging with employers and promoting collaborative working.
Knowledge of local labour market opportunities is beneficial but not essential.

Impact: Your support will help schools broaden and retain their employer networks, creating progressive opportunities for students to engage with the world of work. By strengthening external partnerships, you will contribute to a richer careers programme that provides meaningful encounters, raises aspirations, and helps young people make informed decisions about their future education, training and employment pathways.

Raise the Profile of Careers Education and Strengthen Stakeholder Relations.

You can support a Careers Leader to develop a more strategic approach to careers marketing, communications and employer engagement. This short-term project focuses on increasing awareness of careers education, strengthening relationships with employers, and improving engagement with parents and carers, employers and the wider community.

Working alongside the Careers Leader, you will help review current activity, identify key audiences, develop effective messaging, and create a simple communications and engagement plan that promotes the school’s careers offer.

What you might do:

Review current careers marketing, communications and stakeholder engagement activity and identify opportunities for improvement.
Help define key audiences, including employers, parents and carers, alumni and community partners.
Develop clear and consistent messages to promote careers education activities and employer volunteering opportunities.
Recommend communication channels and activities to engage local employers and other stakeholders.
Help develop or enhance LinkedIn and other professional social media profiles.
Create ideas for showcasing student success stories, destination outcomes, employer partnerships and case studies.
Advise on approaches to build, maintain and strengthen long-term employer relationships.
Support the creation of a simple careers marketing, communications and employer engagement plan.
Help identify ways to measure engagement, gather feedback and use insights to shape future activity.

Skills and experience needed:

Experience in marketing, communications, stakeholder engagement or relationship management.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to develop clear and effective communication and engagement strategies.
Creative thinking and the ability to engage different audiences.
Strong networking and relationship-building skills.
Experience promoting events, projects or organisational activity.
Good organisational and planning skills.
Understanding of digital engagement, social media and professional networking platforms is beneficial.
Enthusiasm for supporting schools and creating opportunities for young people.

Impact: Your expertise will help schools raise the profile of careers education, increase participation in careers activities and build stronger relationships with employers and wider stakeholders. By improving communications and employer engagement, schools can expand the number and quality of employer encounters available to students, provide valuable workplace insights and inspiration, and ensure careers opportunities are visible, accessible and relevant.

Through more effective promotion, engagement and evaluation of careers activities, schools can better understand what motivates stakeholders, celebrate positive outcomes, and use these insights to continuously improve their careers programme and support young people to make informed decisions about their future pathways.

Strengthening Internal Engagement and Support from Senior Leaders and Governors

You can support a school or college Careers Leader to strengthen internal engagement with Senior Leadership Teams (SLT) and governing boards. This short-term project focuses on ensuring careers education is understood, valued and strategically embedded across the organisation, helping leaders recognise its contribution to student outcomes and school improvement priorities. Working alongside the Careers Leader, you will help identify opportunities to raise the profile, secure buy-in and strengthen support for careers education at both leadership and governance level.

What you might do:

Review how careers education is currently communicated to senior leaders and governors.
Help the Careers Leader articulate the strategic value and impact of careers provision.
Provide advice on presenting careers data, achievements and priorities to leadership and governance audiences.
Support discussions around aligning careers education with school improvement plans and organisational priorities.
Recommend approaches to strengthen ongoing engagement, advocacy and accountability for inclusive careers education.

Skills and experience needed:

Experience of working with senior leaders, boards, committees or governance structures.
Strategic thinking and an understanding of organisational priorities and decision-making.
Ability to communicate key messages clearly and influence stakeholders.
Strong collaboration, relationship-building and presentation skills.

Impact: Your expertise will help Careers Leaders secure stronger support for careers education from senior leaders and governors, ensuring it is embedded within strategic planning and decision-making. This can lead to increased organisational commitment, greater sustainability of careers programmes and improved outcomes for young people as they prepare for their future pathways.

Help Schools and Colleges Deliver Targeted Support for Learners

You can support a school or college Careers Leader to develop careers activities and employer engagement opportunities for specific groups of learners. This short-term project focuses on ensuring that all young people, particularly those with additional needs or barriers to progression, can access meaningful careers guidance, experiences and opportunities that help them prepare for their future.

Working alongside the Careers Leader, you will help identify the needs of different student groups and develop targeted approaches to support students with SEND, those at risk of becoming Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), and other young people who may benefit from additional careers support.

What you might do:

Review current careers provision for targeted groups of learners.
Help identify gaps, barriers and opportunities for improvement.
Share employer insights and labour market information relevant to different student needs.
Support the design of tailored careers activities, employer encounters or workplace experiences.
Advise on approaches to engage and inspire students who may face barriers to progression.
Help build links with employers and organisations that can provide additional support and opportunities.

Skills and experience needed:

Understanding of inclusion, diversity and supporting young people with different needs and aspirations.
Ability to identify practical solutions and opportunities for learners facing barriers.
Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
Experience of working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders.
Enthusiasm for helping all young people achieve positive future outcomes.

Impact: Your support will help schools create more inclusive and effective careers programmes, ensuring that young people who may face additional challenges are better informed, more confident, and able to access pathways that match their skills, interests and potential. By tailoring careers support to individual needs, you will help improve aspirations, progression outcomes and future opportunities for those who need it most.

Help Schools and Colleges Use Evidence to Improve Careers Provision

As an Enterprise Adviser, you can support a school or college Careers Leader to review, evaluate and strengthen their careers programme using data and stakeholder feedback. This short-term project involves analysing evidence from a range of sources, including student, parent, employer and staff surveys, Gatsby Benchmark assessments, destination data and careers activity evaluations.

Working alongside the Careers Leader, you will help identify strengths, gaps and emerging trends, ensuring that careers provision is informed by evidence and responsive to the needs of students and key stakeholders.

What you might do:

Review careers-related surveys, feedback and evaluation data.
Analyse stakeholder voice from students, employers, parents and staff.
Identify key themes, trends and areas for development.
Help interpret findings and understand what they mean in practice.
Recommend improvements to careers activities, employer engagement or programme delivery.
Support the Careers Leader to develop an action plan based on the evidence gathered.

Skills and experience needed:

Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Experience in research, evaluation, data analysis or quality improvement.
Ability to identify patterns, trends and actionable insights.
Strong communication and report-writing skills.
Experience of gathering and interpreting feedback from multiple stakeholders.

Impact: Your expertise will help schools make evidence-based decisions that enhance the quality and impact of their careers programme. By ensuring stakeholder feedback is heard and acted upon, you will support the development of more targeted, effective and meaningful careers education that better meets the needs of students and prepares them for their future pathways.

Meet our Business Education Partners

Role Summary

As a Business Education Partner, you can:

Share professional expertise to support careers education and employability.
Help schools and colleges build stronger links with employers and industry.
Contribute to short-term projects aligned to your interests and experience.
Support Careers Leaders to develop sustainable, impactful careers programmes.
Inspire and inform young people about future education, training and career pathways.
Help create a talent pipeline that supports local economic growth and social mobility.

Become a Business Education Partner

BEP training and development opportunities

When you become a Business Education Partner, you won’t be expected to work alone.

Our Careers Hub team will provide:

A full induction and Business Education Partner handbook
Training tailored to your role and chosen project
Ongoing guidance and support from the Careers Hub team
Access to resources, frameworks and best practice
Introductions to Careers Leaders and education settings
Regular check-ins throughout your project

We will work with you to identify a school and/or project that aligns with your skills, interests and location, ensuring your contribution is both rewarding and impactful.

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Business Education Partners - Cumbria Careers Hub