You can give as much or as little time as you can
Supporting young people does not have to take a lot of time. Whether you can offer around 1 hour a year, half a day, a full day or longer-term support, your experience can make a real difference.
Through the Business Volunteer Network, you can help young people understand the world of work, explore local opportunities and feel more confident about their future.
We will support you
Cumbria Careers Hub will help you choose the right activity that works for you, your employers and your business, connect you with schools and colleges, and provide resources or guidance where needed.
You bring your experience. We will help with the rest.
If you have around 1 hour a year
A small amount of time can still have a big impact. These activities are ideal if you want to support careers education but have limited availability.
You could get involved in:
- Cumbria Careers Day
- Cumbria Talent Force
- Assembly Talks
- National Careers Events
- Business breakfasts
- Lunchtime networking events
- Opportunities Forums
- Speed networking
- Sharing modern recruitment practices with Careers Leaders or pupils
These activities are a great way to introduce young people to your business, your sector and the essential skills employers are looking for. They can also help pupils understand different pathways into work, including apprenticeships, technical routes, further education, higher education and direct employment.
If you can offer half a day
If you have a little more time, you can take part in activities that give young people a deeper understanding of work, skills and careers.
You could support:
- Sector-based workshops linked to career pathways
- Curriculum-based workshops
- Employer-led projects
- Key Stage 3 experiences of the workplace
- World of Work activities
- Mock interview activities, including new approaches linked to modern recruitment practices
Some of these activities may need planning or preparation, but you will not be expected to do this alone. The Careers Hub team can support you, and resources will be available to help you shape your session.
Half-day activities are a practical way to help young people connect classroom learning to real jobs. They also give employers the chance to talk about workplace skills, sector changes, recruitment routes and future opportunities in Cumbria.
If you can offer a full day
A full-day commitment allows you to provide a more meaningful experience for young people, teachers or Careers Leaders.
You could get involved in:
- Mock interviews
- Key Stage 3 experiences of the workplace
- Key Stage 4 work experience
- Careers safaris
- Careers fairs
- Curriculum development
- Business insight visits
- Teacher Insight visits
These activities help schools and colleges bring careers learning to life. They can give young people first-hand experience of workplaces, help teachers understand current industry practice, and support Careers Leaders to build stronger links with local employers.
For businesses, this is also a valuable way to showcase your sector, challenge stereotypes, promote opportunities and build relationships with future talent.
If you are ready for longer-term engagement
Longer-term involvement can create lasting impact for young people and stronger links between education and business.
You could support:
- Mentoring
- Long-term work experience
- One-week work experience placements
- T Level industry placements
- Supported internships
- The Enterprise Adviser role
- Specialist support linked to your sector or business expertise
These opportunities are particularly valuable for young people who would benefit from sustained support, deeper workplace experience or a clearer understanding of routes into employment.
Long-term engagement also helps employers build meaningful partnerships with schools and colleges, develop their future workforce, support local skills needs and make a visible contribution to Cumbria’s communities.
It needs to be easy for schools to find employers who are willing to engage and who meet their needs
There are lots of ways to get involved if you can Give an Hour:
Employer Talk
Schools, colleges and universities value employers delivering a presentation about career paths in a particular industry or organisation,
and sharing personal career journeys with students. The host institution will discuss with you the proposed content and timings of your talk, so that you can be confident it will be appropriate for the age and interests of students and any wider audience members (e.g. parents, carers and guardians).
Ensure your offer is meaningful to young people. Listen to Isla and Amy, 2 Dream Placement students, who spent time with Cumbria Careers Hub undertaking research with their peers, analysing the data and creating this short video about what they value most from employers offering career guidance opportunities.
World of Work / Work Ready Days
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
Year 10 to 13 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.
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.
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
Short periods of work experience can provide a useful introduction to the workplace. Students typically spend up to two weeks within
an organisation undertaking a number of activities under supervision.
The experience will help develop students’ general understanding of the workplace, build their confidence, possibly influence their choice
of career path, and support their preparation for the transition from school or college into employment.
Alongside this, you have the opportunity to showcase your organisation and industry.
Careers Fairs
Getting involved in careers events enables you to increase young people’s understanding of your organisation or industry and inspire their future career choices. It can also be an opportunity to inform and influence parents, carers and guardians who can play a key role in young people’s career decisions.
Careers events are usually targeted at students aged 14 and above, and you may be asked to act as an ambassador, contributing to school or college choices events, careers and/or recruitment fairs, speed-networking events, or present a careers talk.
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.
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.
Curriculum Development
Employer input can add real relevance to educational programmes to bring the curriculum to life and equip young people for the transition
from school or college into the workplace.
You can support teachers in a range of ways, from giving feedback on the curriculum content, to co-designing courses. For particular topics you may help with designing a specialist lesson or workshop or being involved in case studies and projects.
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.
Employer Mentoring
Mentors provide a positive role model for young people. You work one-to-one with a student, typically aged 14 or above, to help build
their confidence, develop their resilience, and support their aspirations.
Some mentors also help students to develop particular subject knowledge and skills. You will build your relationship with a student through regular meetings over an extended period of time. In some cases, the mentor-student work has a specific goal, such as preparing for an apprenticeship or job applications, or for higher level study at college or university.
Discuss our Business Volunteer Network – get in touch!
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