1. Swindon & Wiltshire Enterprise
Adviser Pilot
The purpose of the Swindon & Wiltshire Enterprise Adviser
pilot is to create powerful, lasting connections between local
businesses and the schools and colleges in the Swindon &
Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership area to further develop
careers and enterprise activities.
Enterprise Advisers are volunteers who will work directly
with the leadership of individual schools and colleges. These
volunteers, drawn from business and other employers,
large and small, will help to develop effective employer
engagement plans.
Clusters of schools and colleges and Enterprise Advisers will be
supported by a full time Enterprise Coordinator who will bring
together the schools and employers in the cluster effectively.
A recent CBI survey states that nearly 70% of
companies said that students have inadequate
business and customer awareness, and over half
perceived weaknesses in school leavers’ personal-
management skills.
“I want education to be everyone’s business,
involving parents, teachers, business and the whole
community. Schools shouldn’t be places where
business people drop their kids at the beginning of
the day. Businesses should lead by example”
John Cridland CBE
Director-General of The Confederation of British Industry
How it works
Your Enterprise Coordinator will meet with the
senior leadership team/careers lead of a school/
college and work through an activity planning
guide to understand their current careers and
enterprise strategy. This will help identify any
gaps and priority areas for action.
An Enterprise Adviser will then be carefully
matched to the school and will work with them
to enhance their existing activity and increase
their engagement with local employers.
• Enterprise Advisers will support a school or
college for the rest of the academic year,
committing to a minimum of one day per
month or equivalent.
• They will have a sound knowledge and
understanding of the needs of the local
labour market.
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2. • Their support will be complementary to any existing
activity.
• Enterprise Advisers will work alongside providers such as
the National Careers Service and Business in the
Community’s Business Class where they can add
value.
• They will help to improve the links with local employers
and signpost useful activities and programmes that schools/
colleges may wish to build into their careers and enterprise
strategy.
The offer to employers
• The chance to support the development of the future workforce
• Easier access to schools and colleges
• Engagement and strengthened relationship with young people, schools, colleges and the local
community
• Staff personal development and training opportunities (as volunteer Enterprise Advisers or by
supporting other activities)
• Reinforcing or establishing your organisation as an employer of choice
• Ensuring skills match business need
• Promotion of your business
• Opportunity to embed employability skills into school & college curriculum
• Opportunity to network with other businesses, schools & colleges via localised Enterprise Adviser
Network meetings
• Opportunity to develop, shape or add value to school & college employer engagement strategy &
further develop careers and enterprise activities
• Opportunity to take part in a national pilot led by the National Careers & Enterprise Company
• Support positive outcomes for young people.
What they won’t do:
• Enterprise Advisers will not deliver activity
directly into schools.
• The programme will not duplicate existing
activity.
Enterprise Advisers will be fully supported by the
Enterprise Co-ordinator.
To find out more contact Heather Keaveney,
Enterprise Co-ordinator, on:
Email: heather.keaveney@wiltshire.gov.uk
Tel: 01225 718508