The Business Advisory Group Programme
Scottish Business in the Community are recruiting businesses to work with each of the 23 secondary schools in Edinburgh. The aim is to identify specific activities in a school/business partnership that will add skills and value to the schools’ support for pupils.
SBC plans to link a minimum of two businesses to each secondary school, one local business and one larger business within Edinburgh. SBC will act as a broker to initiate and maintain links with the schools and businesses to help ensure that these links become sustainable.
Working through a School/Business Working Group, or similar format, each secondary school will agree an agenda of activities. Typical activities are pupil mentoring, mock interviews, World of Work days, behind the scenes visits, talks on specialist areas, eg Marketing, PR etc. Working Group meetings will provide an understanding of the needs of pupils in relation to employability skills and the job market and decide how each partner can contribute to addressing these. Potential activities could cater for pupils of all ages and abilities.
The obvious benefits to businesses are:
- Making an impact on the future generation
- Raising awareness of issues relating to the business sector
- Use of presentation skills
- Gaining an understanding of the school curriculum
Personal and career development of employees
- Promoting a positive image in the community and viewed as good employer
- Contributing to corporate social responsibility agenda
- Providing role models
- Responding to the needs of the area
- Additional career development tool
- Develop and motivate employees
- Involvement can improve communication/team building and coaching skills.
- School engagement can be used as part of a recognised personal development programme
- Employees have increased pride in their company/employer
- Doing Business Responsibly - putting something back into the local community/economy
- Have an impact on creating a stronger Scottish and local economy through investment in young people.
In addition, SBC will aim to recruit businesses to work with the 8 special schools in Edinburgh providing classroom based events/external visits matched to the pupils’ interests and capabilities. Within the special education sector there is wide diversity in the age range and needs of pupils. In this context SBC will engage where possible to help establish school/business partnerships.