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It’s no exaggeration to say that everyone in my family has worked in education, with both of my siblings following in the footsteps of our parents and grandparents by becoming teachers.

That meant the careers advice I received was heavily skewed around jobs associated with working in a school or the Area Education Office. I learned that – at no fault of their own – those with single sector careers inevitably hold a narrower view of the potential pathways available elsewhere.

I moved into environmental technology instead, founding GrowthMesh in 2015 – a microbusiness that helps organisations to develop and embed sustainable growth strategies, and supports organisations to innovate with purpose, benefiting the environment and wider society. Over 27 years of supporting clients in a broad range of sectors has given me a varied insight into today’s employment landscape, so I know there’s suitable work out there for everyone.

For me, becoming an Enterprise Adviser was an enticing opportunity to combine both of these worlds, applying my professional focus to help build better futures in education – a topic close to my family’s heart.

A fresh strategy

In 2016, I was partnered with Maplewell Hall School: a SEND school for 11–19-year-olds based in Leicestershire. We’ve established a monthly working pattern since, developing solutions and new approaches that aim to enhance the independence and aspirations of the young people at the school.

From conversations with my family and the staff at Maplewell, I’m acutely aware of the pressures and constraints school staff constantly navigate. So, although careers education does unavoidably pose an additional workload, I’ve always been careful to make my input feel like something different – rather than something more.

Prioritising pragmatism

As part of what’s called an Educational, Health and Care plan, every SEND institution is statutorily obliged to conduct an annual review for each young person at the school, which must also include plans for their life after education. To support students and their parents to make informed choices about their futures, we invite colleges and apprenticeship providers to the school – turning this legislative task into an all-day event, and embedding a ‘what’s next?’ mentality and momentum across the school.

Realistically, each cohort at Maplewell produces a diverse range of post-education outcomes. To strike a balance, we split the post-16 pathways into three strands of future-readiness: college, work, and life – offering support for individuals at every stage of their academic, professional, and personal journeys.

In fact, we’ve tried to broaden the school outlook on ‘careers’ and ‘work’ in general. Looking at it pragmatically, we’ve cultivated a ‘Preparation for Adulthood’ provision that sprinkles essential social skills into the school’s daily activities – prioritising confidence, creativity, and communication in a SEND learning environment.

From the classroom to the workplace

To stay motivated, young people and their teachers need to know that there's a direct link between their studies and the work awaiting them. With help from some of my business connections, we’ve ensured that a science-related trip to a local recycling facility becomes an opportunity to discuss job roles, responsibilities and potential qualifications. Likewise, PE visits to Leicester City Football and Leicester Tigers Rugby offer young people the chance to see groundstaff, stewards, retail staff, and sports marketing specialists at work – as well as meeting the professional athletes.

These partnerships provide the school with frequent and flexible work encounters. Regularly putting young people into workplaces as part of their educational routine gives them valuable first-hand references for the reality of work, providing insights into the careers and training opportunities within each sector.

With time and energy of the essence in education, it’s easy for add-ons to get ignored – which is why it’s crucial to weave careers into a school’s routine in interesting ways like this. Maplewell even offers an AI platform capable of supporting staff to effectively answer young people’s questions about the relevance of academic topics to the world of work – relieving teachers of the need to understand the specifics of every future career their subject might pertain to.

Reaping the rewards

Last year, the school’s Ofsted inspection directly praised our careers-related work as a key aspect of its overall ‘outstanding’ report. To see our careers team recognised like this was well-deserved, and the achievement speaks to the efforts we’ve made to truly embed careers into everything Maplewell does.

Fundamentally, being an Enterprise Adviser is a way to do some long-term good – as well as being a way to refresh your environment, learn something new, and thrive under different forms of pressure. You’re also part of a broader ecosystem in the wider Enterprise Adviser community, meaning you always have access to an established and reliable support team. For me, this was even a brilliant way to build a network at a crucial stage in my career.

If you do get involved, remember: the agenda you set and the time commitments you make are the foundation of the impact you can have. You’re a volunteer, so your involvement is on your terms – as long as you recognise and respect the pressures school staff are under. The effort you make can benefit young people – and the wider education community – for years to come.

By Ben Wilson, Enterprise Adviser and Director and Founder at GrowthMesh