Enterprise Adviser Network

If you are a mainstream secondary school, further education or sixth form college, a special school, pupil referral unit or alternative provider, you are encouraged to join over 85% of London's schools and colleges already in our network.

We will match you to an Enterprise Adviser (business volunteer) and offer you a plethora of resources, and opportunities that help you build and deliver a comprehensive careers programme and meet the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Join our network by registering using the button below or email us at [email protected] 

If you are an individual looking to volunteer to give back to your local community, support the next generation or develop your own skills; consider becoming an Enterprise Adviser for a local school or college.

Read our Enterprise Adviser role description for more information and apply using the button below.

If you want to help young Londoners prepare for their future careers but can't commit to the Enterprise Adviser role, consider volunteering on a one-off basis through our Give an Hour campaign.

We will connect you with a careers event at a local school or college. You could speak to a class about your sector, play a role in a business competition, carry out a mock interview or support a CV workshop.

Even these short activities make a big difference and can change a young person’s life. Sign up for our Give an Hour campaign.

Are you an employer, large or small, looking to diversify your talent pipeline, inspire young people into your sector, get involved in your local community, or develop staff skills?

The Network can help you to engage with local young people in a range of ways that suit your objectives and the needs of the school or college. 

Whether you have an established programme or are exploring engaging with young people for the first time, we want to hear from you. 

Email us at [email protected] 

• commit to supporting a local school or college for a minimum of one academic year, meeting with them on a regular basis
• support the school or college's senior leadership team strategically to develop and evaluate their careers plan
• act as a champion for business engagement with the school or college within your personal and professional network and across sectors
• provide a valuable employer's perspective on how a school or college can embed labour market information and opportunities into the careers programme.

There are a huge number of benefits to becoming an Enterprise Adviser, both personally and professionally.

• support a local school or college to deliver world-class guidance to their students
• undertake strategic planning in a new context, developing your skills in communication and strategy development
• build strong working relationships with your local school or college, and provide insight into your organisation and industry
• join a national and local network of like-minded professionals from a wide range of sectors
• better understand the education sector and the challenges faced.
• give back to your community.

• any business professional from any industry sector or professional background, be that employed, self-employed or recently employed
• have a minimum of 4 years of experience in the workplace
• have experience of working strategically, including developing strategic plans and engaging with senior stakeholders
• be willing to volunteer your time to achieve positive change in local schools and colleges, using core skills including relationship building and analytical thinking.

Our Enterprise Advisers do not need prior experience of working with schools and colleges and are not expected to become experts in careers education. We support new Enterprise Advisers every step of the way.

• regular support from an Enterprise Coordinator, a full time member of our team with expertise in Careers Education who leads their local Network
• an in-depth induction session with ongoing access to training and networking opportunities
• access to comprehensive toolkits and resources from both the London and national Enterprise Adviser Network
• an extensive network of current Enterprise Advisers to share lessons learned and best practice remotely and at events.

To help our Enterprise Advisers and Careers Leaders succeed in their roles we regularly offer training and networking opportunities. These training sessions are free and are available to all Careers Leaders and Enterprise Advisers in the LEAN.  

To watch recordings of our previous training sessions you can visit our YouTube playlist at any time.

Welcome to the LEAN Blueprints. We created 6 blueprints to help schools and businesses create effective opportunities for students to learn about careers. We've included suggestions and ideas for everything we think you'll need to plan and run successful and impactful careers projects.

Blueprints for employers

Blueprint employer insight visit

Blueprint hosting work experience

Blueprint virtual experience of the workplace

Blueprints for schools

Blueprint speed networking event

Blueprint professional interview day

Blueprint speaker series

More LEAN resources

LEAN resource page

In less than two years, the LEAN has tripled in size and now supports the majority of schools and colleges in London. Our impact report, released in November 2020, outlines the achievements of the LEAN and the progress made against the Gatsby Benchmarks by schools and colleges in our Network.