Enterprise Advisers

What is an Enterprise Adviser?

Our Enterprise Advisers come from all industry sectors and professional backgrounds. They are willing and able to volunteer their time to achieve positive change. They do this by supporting a local school, college or sixth form using core skills to create and achieve their careers programme. There are over 40 Enterprise Advisers in East Sussex giving students the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their future careers. Whether employed, self-employed or recently employed, one thing they all have in common is their dedication to making a lasting impact on the future outcomes of young people.

There are many benefits to becoming an Enterprise Adviser, both personal and professional.

What does it involve?

• Join a national and local network to develop your own skills.
• Build strong working relationships with your local school or college and provide insight into your organisation and industry.
• Develop your East Sussex networks and give back to our local community. 
• Supporting the school or college's senior leadership team to develop and evaluate their careers plan and undertake strategic planning in a new context.
• Provide an employer's perspective on how schools or colleges can embed labour market information and opportunities into the careers programme.
• Develop your skills in communication and strategy development
• Engaging with local businesses and employers in your network to put a wide variety of careers opportunities at the heart of young people's education.
• Support your local school or college to deliver world class careers guidance to their students.
• Better understand the education sector and the challenges faced.

Benefits

Volunteering with a school or college could benefit you by:

• Giving back to the East Sussex community
• Promoting your brand and sector in the local community
• Supporting your local school or college to deliver world class guidance to their students
• Undertaking strategic planning in a new context
• Develop your skills in communication and strategy development
• Establish strong relationships with your local school or college and providing insight into your organisation and industry
• Better understanding the education sector and the challenges faced
• Networking opportunities across East Sussex through regular network meetings and social media groups.

For more information about becoming an Enterprise Adviser, please contact the East Sussex Careers Hub at Enterprise.Coordinator@eastsussex.gov.uk or visit The Careers and Enterprise Company website.

Enterprise Adviser Profiles

Dan Hayman

• Job title: Estimator
• Industry sector: Construction
• School matched with: Chailey Secondary School
• Interests: Rock climbing, maths, and playing the bass guitar
• Why are you inspired to support careers education across East Sussex?: I'm really looking forward to working with Chailey School to provide support and guidance to the students looking to further their skills and pursue a career in their chosen field.
• Career journey: After completing a BA Hons in Jazz Studies, I worked as a self-employed musician for over a decade. I then completed a BSc Hons in Quantity Surveying whilst working as an Estimator for a building contractors which is where I am currently employed.

Graham Marley

• Job title: Chief Executive, Let's Do Business Group
• Industry sector: Business advice and finance
• School matched with: Cavendish School
• Interests: Helping businesses to start and grow, Brighton and Hove Albion and Sussex Cricket
• Why are you inspired to support careers education across East Sussex?: To help schools inspire young people and help raise aspirations.
• Career journey: Worked at BHS on Saturdays whilst at college. Worked at NatWest for 14 years as a Senior Business Manager before working with the Let's Do Business Group.

Hrvoje Loncarevic

• Job title: Executive Head Chef
• Industry sector: Hospitality
• School matched with: Willingdon Community School
• Interests: My passion has always been to inspire and train young adults and have discussions about kitchen, food innovation and hospitality.
• Why are you inspired to support careers education across East Sussex?: I can pass on my knowledge and support careers across Eastbourne.
• Career journey: I have 24 years of experience working in 5 star and fine dining restaurants, stadiums and events across the UK and a wealth of experience in building and inspiring teams.

Joy Sheen

• Job title: HR Advisor
• Industry sector: Engineering
• School matched with: Claverham Community College
• Interests: One of my key passions is to inspire young women to consider engineering as a career choice along with the methods of accessing employment such as apprenticeships or joining our graduate scheme. Using members of our female engineering community to speak at assemblies, telling their personal stories as to how they achieved their goal is inspirational and demonstrates that engineering is not just for boys.
• Why are you inspired to support careers education across East Sussex?: I am inspired to support careers education across East Sussex to encourage young people to consider engineering as a career. Being such as a broad topic, it is great to speak with students through school assemblies, classroom sessions and careers events to raise awareness of opportunities open to them. Our business supports work experience annually during a week in July and we offer a week-long project involving design, building and presentation skills.
• Career journey: During my working life, I have worked in a variety of sectors including manufacturing, finance, transport and the NHS, working at supervisor, advisor and managerial level. After working in payroll for 14 years, I went back to college in Brighton to embark on a HR career path, graduating in 2003, and I have never looked back. I feel privileged to work for a great company, with opportunity to continue to learn and develop. No two days feel the same, but they are always interesting.

Linda Bonner

• Job title: HR Business Partner
• Industry sector: Charity
• School matched with: Plumpton College
• Interests: I love being outdoors whether that;s walking, horse-riding, or just pottering around my garden.
• Why are you inspired to support careers education across East Sussex?: It's a great opportunity to share and work in partnership. I can help the college as an Enterprise Adviser to make connections to help their students with work experience, meeting experts in the area they are studying, and understanding what options they have when they move on from their study whilst I learn how to make myself more relevant as an employer for young people and what they want from a career. Working for the charity sector, I am really aware that the National Trust would not be able to open it's doors and do the things they are doing without volunteers. They not only give their time, but also bring along all their experience and passion for what we do and I have found volunteering as an Enterprise Adviser has given me a similar experience in that my skills, experience and knowledge have been welcomed at Plumpton College, but I have also learnt from them and their students which has been hugely rewarding personally and beneficial to me as an employer.
• Career journey: I have worked in a number of sectors including retail, insurance and banking both working as part of a time and heading up functions before moving across to work in Human Resources where I have worked as both a Specialist for Learning, Resourcing and Talent Management and a Generalist as a Business Partner supporting a variety of directors in I.T, Risk, Finance, Procurement and Operations. I moved to work in the charity sector as I wanted to experience working for a not-for-profit organisation and now get to work in the most amazing locations in the South East working for the National Trust.

Mark Weeks-Pearson

• Job title: Director
• Industry sector: Accountancy
• School matched with: Hastings Academy
• Interests: Helping clients grow their businesses and, when not working, anything sea-related, currently paddle-boarding.
• Why are you inspired to support careers education across East Sussex?: I grew up and studied in Hastings. It's not the easiest region to progress a career, but has a lot going for it!
• Career journey: I went to university and travelled, but found it hard to find a career. I moved back to Hastings when I was 24 to train as an accountant at Ashdown Hurrey. I am now one of the owners and directors with over 50 staff across 3 offices in Hastings, Bexhill and Battle.

Sarra Hawes

• Job title: Director
• Industry sector: Construction
• School matched with: The Lindfield School
• Interests: Empowering young people to recognise their accomplishments and opportunities in the workplace.
• Why are you inspired to support careers education across East Sussex?: I have been involved for most of my working career from a young age as I was a minority in my industry and wanted to raise awareness, especially as there is a massive shortage of trades/management positions at the moment. I feel being an Enterprise Adviser is an amazing opportunity to share our life skills and work experience with young people and also of our experience in the field of work we are in.
• Career journey: I have been a site engineer/manager for Llewllyns and ran my own business since 2013. I worked some part-time jobs whilst my children were young, but have mainly worked in construction.

Scott Monk

• Job title: Managing Director
• Industry sector: Electrical construction
• School matched with: Hailsham Community College
• Interests: Family and sport
• Why are you inspired to support careers education across East Sussex?: I see careers as being one of the key drivers in ensuring a connection from school/college to the workplace. Students can learn a variety of skills, knowledge and insight from workplaces that can have a direct result to their current education, behaviour and attendance. If we don't give career opportunities to students then how do we expect them to be work-ready when they join the employment sector.
• Career journey: I started as a PE teacher and Head of Sixth Form before taking on our family business with my brother which I have continued to do since.

Resources

Here are some materials to support you to inspire and prepare students for work:

• Resources for Enterprise Advisers on The Careers and Enterprise Company website
• Barclays LifeSkills offer free activities for employers and schools to use with young people to help them understand and develop the key skills they need to progress into work.

More ideas to bring employers and students together:

• Have students meet school alumni.
• Creative Cafés are dynamic half-day events where students meet diverse employers in an informal café-style setting. Structured around a series of tasks, with 6-10 young people per employer, students engage with all the employers through short 5-minute ‘speed dating’ conversations or tasks, before electing to join two employers to do a half hour practical challenge. CultureShift can help you to set this up.
• Work experience happens throughout the year. For more information or to discuss opportunities please contact the Work Experience team at workexperience@eastsussex.gov.uk
• Careers Talks are a great way for people to share their careers experience with pupils. Young people love to hear stories about the different routes employers have taken to success. Talks can take place in lessons, assemblies, at lunchtime or during an after school club.
• Networking with employers helps young people develop their confidence. It provides an opportunity to have conversations with adults, and ask employability questions. Students learn skills such as eye contact, speaking up, and how to perfect the handshake. The growth of the remote working in this digital age this can also delivered online which supports the young peoples digital skills. 
• Business breakfasts are popular and allow groups of students to meet a variety of employers who can give insight into their journey, role and sector. With an opportunity for Q&As.
• Mock Interviews involve a short 1-2-1 conversation between employers and learners, like a job interview. Schools will supply employers with suggested questions and employers who can give feedback and coaching. This helping students feel confident and well prepared for their next (or first) job interview. The sessions also give our business volunteers an excellent insight into their future employees. These can also be carried out online.
• Careers days or careers fairs can take many forms. Schools often like employers to have a stand, with interactive activities to promote their business in an eye-catching way. Employers enjoy talking to pupils to give them ideas for their future and to help them to understand the variety of roles and different pathways into jobs. 
• Apprenticeship roadshows take place annually in several towns across the county. They are an opportunity for employers to promote their sectors and apprenticeship vacancies to students and parents across East Sussex schools.

For more information about all of these opportunities, please contact the East Sussex Careers Hub at Enterprise.Coordinator@eastsussex.gov.uk