East Riding Guidance

Employer engagement helps raise the standards and improve the quality of learning by:

• raising standards in subjects and courses;
• enhancing the relevance of the curriculum, providing a vocational context;
• improving the quality of careers information;
• helping raise attainment in functional and key skills;
• improving learners employability skills and enterprise capability;
• improving learners motivation and the quality of learning more widely.

develops and motivates staff by:

• helping improve the quality of teaching;
• improving staff knowledge of the world of work;
• improving the professional and managerial skills of staff;
• energising staff through partnerships and workforce development days in business;
• widening the range of teaching and learning methods;
• providing opportunities to learn from and influence local businesses.

enhances the reputation of the school/college by:

• encouraging diploma staff and pupils to act as ambassadors for the school/college;
• raising the image and profile of the school/college in the local business community and with parents;
• creating positive items in local media;
• involving employers in curriculum design, delivery and assessment adds to the currency of qualifications.

Employer engagement gives access to resources by:

• the production of relevant, local curriculum materials;
• giving access to management and financial expertise;
• providing alternative environments for pupil learning.

• Helping young people to see the direct relevance of their classroom experience;
• Providing applied learning using real-life examples from the workplace. At least 50% of what students learn in their principal learning must be applied;
• Demonstrating occupational relevance ;
• Preparing young people for the rapidly changing, technology-rich global economy;
• Offering experiential learning;
• Developing the skills, knowledge and attitudes that 21st Century employers and higher education institutions want; in a broad work-related context;
• Ensuring that Diploma learners are able to adapt to modern working practices and environments;
• Diplomas contain the knowledge and skills needed for a head start in business life (Sir Alan Jones, Chairman, Toyota Manufacturing UK Ltd).

Employers are engaged at different levels, nationally, regionally and locally.

• At individual school/college level employers fulfill a strategic role on management boards and boards of governors.
• Schools/Colleges use employers to ensure provision meets the needs of the current workforce giving learners the skills and knowledge needed for employment.
• At subject level employers have worked on curriculum development including the development of curriculum materials and activities.
• Employee volunteering involves groups of staff and individual employees giving their time to work with young people in school.

To help you recruit and engage employers for Diploma learning the Humber Education Business Partnership provides a service to support the development of employer engagement opportunities. For further information and to discuss your needs please contact:

Points to think about before you contact an employer for support

Adopt standard business practices when approaching employers.

• Do your research. Be clear about what you want and when before contacting employers, this will ensure you get in contact with the right company and people that can help.
• Think about how the activity will benefit the employer - this could be a good news media story, meeting their Corporate Social Responsibility, or they are helping a family member in education.
• Phone the employer before sending information in a letter or email.
• Arrange an initial meeting to discuss the variety of engagement activities. Invite them to a school event so they can see how employer engagement can benefit them.
• Brief the employer fully about the activity e.g. purpose, outcomes expected, numbers of learners, venue (classroom/hall/business premises visit), level of learners.
• Ensure at all times you offer a high level of customer service responding to emails and telephone calls.

Examples of Employer Engagement include:

• Developing curriculum resources to support learning.
• Providing work experience placements (linked where possible to the Line of Learning with the learner clear about how the experience can directly link to their diploma qualification.
• Talks in the classroom - including information on qualification routes. experience and skills required and training offered.
• Supporting an Enterprise Day activity.
• Site visits to employer premises which are focussed and support principle learning.
• Providing Mock Interviews to give learners the chance to practice communication with others.
• Setting real work projects and challenges providing applied learning opportunities. East Riding Design Proposal Challenge - Goole High School and Beverley Grammar School have been working with the Planning and Development Control Team with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and have set the Diploma learners a Design Proposal Task. Access the Design Proposal document for further information.

Communicating your needs to employers

Employers want to help support learners to understand how organisations work and the skills that are needed for employability.

To ensure that any employer contacting the school/college is directed to the correct person a Lead contact for Employer Engagement needs to be identified. This should be a Senior member of staff with an overview of employer engagement and an understanding of all the different types of qualification routes and curriculum needs.

Points to think about before you contact an employer for support

Adopt standard business practices when approaching employers.

• Do your research. Be clear about what you want and when before contacting employers, this will ensure you get in contact with the right company and people that can help.
• Think about how the activity will benefit the employer - this could be a good news media story, meeting their Corporate Social Responsibility, or they are helping a family member in education.
• Phone the employer before sending information in a letter or email.
• Arrange an initial meeting to discuss the variety of engagement activities. Invite them to a school event so they can see how employer engagement can benefit them.
• Brief the employer fully about the activity e.g. purpose, outcomes expected, numbers of learners, venue (classroom/hall/business premises visit), level of learners.
• Ensure at all times you offer a high level of customer service responding to emails and telephone calls.

Marketing your needs to employers

Your organisations website can provide employers with information and a first point of contact to get involved. Putting key activities with dates, support required and a main contact name and number can help employers decide what they can get involved with, when and who to contact.

Employers visit your organisation in other roles and Employer Engagement can be marketed alongside activities such as:

• Open Evenings
• School/College productions
• Open events and parents events
• Award evenings/events
• Subject Work Related Learning and Enterprise activities already taking places
• Work experience - using your work experience contacts to promote other support needed

Look within your current stakeholders and ensure they are aware of the ways they can support the 14 -19 agenda.

The suppliers of goods and services to the school are employers that already have a vested interest.

Review the skills and contacts of your Governing body for introduction to employers in the local community.

Staff development focused on partnerships with employers and departments have been encourages to involve employers in curriculum projects.

Invite existing employers to public events, seizing the opportunity at intervals to publicly thank them, providing a photo opportunity and positive news item for the local press.

Whatever the level or type of involvement, schools and colleges should work to ensure that they develop deep, long-lasting partnerships with employers, rather than one-off or ad-hoc arrangements.

• Keep in regular contact with the employer either by telephone or email.
• Plan activities in advance, including the employer at the earliest stage.
• Clearly define the roles in the partnership keeping the learner as the focus.
• Ensure Employer expectations and yours are realistic.
• Ensure employers are aware of and are briefed on any Child Protection issues that may affect them.
• Fully brief employers on their role in supporting the teaching staff.
• Share information of relevant factors, affecting activities and young people, including educational and medical needs of those involved.
• Schedule regular feedback and follow up with employers.
• Review the partnership periodically.
• Contribute to the employers' operational and development plans with their role in supporting vocational subjects and work related learning.