Volunteer business leaders to help every Lancashire school

A new programme which has seen top businesses leaders meet over 750 pupils this year in Blackburn with Darwen and Burnley is being rolled out to a further 40 secondary schools across Lancashire this month and the rest of the county next year.

Almost £500,000 is being invested in the Enterprise Adviser Network, which has been piloted in 20 schools in east Lancashire from January 2016.

Organisers are now appealing for more experienced, high level business leaders to volunteer to become Enterprise Advisers for their local secondary school – one is needed for each school in the programme.

The first Enterprise Adviser Network, consisting of 21 schools matched on a one to one basis with an adviser, was set up in January this year in Blackburn with Darwen and Burnley.

Twenty-one local business leaders from firms working in fields ranging from building to social media volunteered to take part in the East Lancashire pilot project. They have helped organise, and taken part in, activities such as school talks, factory visits and careers days for pupils aged 11 to 16.

Claudia Harris, chief executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company, and Edwin Booth, chair, Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP), represented the organisations funding the network and made the awards at the celebration event.

“We are opening the eyes of hundreds of young people to the wide-ranging employment opportunities available in business locally. The aim is to boost their aspirations, improve their employability and create a pipeline of young people moving into local business.”

He said: “Students enjoyed their visit here. They had no idea this facility is on their doorstep, so it was a great experience for them.