New campaign to link schools and businesses across South Yorkshire

A new regional campaign aims to bridge the gap between education and work and match employers with schools and colleges to the benefit of students.

Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership was one of five pilot areas that helped to develop the Enterprise Advisers programme for Sheffield City Region last year. The idea is to match a volunteer Enterprise Adviser from the business and public sector with every secondary and special school and college in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

These advisers will help to prepare young people for future jobs and careers, building up a network of valuable links to local business contacts.

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Nigel Brewster, Vice Chair, Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Enterprise Advisers will bring the currency of work to the classroom. They will raise discussions with school and college leaders on how employability skills are taught in schools and bring the wider world of work to life by establishing links with local employers through their network of contacts.

“Supporting education to prepare young people for future jobs is critical to the success of our regional economy so we see the Enterprise Adviser Network as a vital part of our plans going forward.”

A series of information events will be held during the next six months. For more information about these, visit: www.enterpriseadviserscr.org.uk or contact Mike Garnock-Jones at [email protected].

Enterprise Advisers have experience of employment or self-employment and come from a wide variety of sectors. They will be carefully matched to a school or college, providing support for a few hours a month for one year. They will receive support from Enterprise Coordinators who will help to ensure that they have the information and training they need to make their role a success.