Employees / Employers – How to get involved

Covid-19 update:

You can still sign up to our partner initiatives below. However, due to the current situation most delivery in the short-term is via remote channels. To find out more about the changes, go to our Covid-19 page. 

You can participate in a range of initiatives as either a volunteer or as an organisation to support young people in South Yorkshire to gain the skills and experience they need to reach their full potential.

Below you can find details of the different organisations we are partnering and their employer engagement opportunities we are championing, including the type of activities, the age ranges you can work with and the anticipated time commitment. By clicking ‘Sign up’ you will be directed to the organisation’s page where you can get further information and sign up to the initiative which best suits your, and your employees’, skills, expertise and capacity.

For more information on how to use the Inspiring the Future and Inspiring Governance platforms and what happens once you’ve signed up, please see our Toolkits page.

Opportunities Across South Yorkshire

Activity
Age Group
Time Commitment

Become A Role Model

inspiring the future logo
Activity
  • Careers Fairs & Talks
  • CV workshops
  • Mentoring
  • Mock Interviews
  • Work Experience
Age Group
  • Primary
  • Secondary
  • Colleges
  • Education providers
Time Commitment

One-off encounters

Sign Up

Become A Governor

inspiring governance logo
Activity
  • Strategic role on a governing board with 3 main functions
  • Financial performance & budgeting
  • Educational performance
  • Clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Age Group
  • Primary
  • Secondary
  • Colleges
Time Commitment

5-8 hours per month up to 4 years

Sign Up

Become An Enterprise Adviser

enterprise adviser network logo
Activity
  • As an Enterprise Adviser you will:
  • Work with the Careers Leader and Senior Leadership
  • Develop the careers strategy
  • Open up links to other businesses
Age Group
  • Secondary
  • Colleges
  • Post-16 Providers
Time Commitment

1 day per month over 1 year

Sign Up

Sheffield Hallam University

Sheffield Hallam is an applied university. We’re committed to practical solutions — ones that enable healthier lives, build stronger communities, and drive future economies…

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Self-support and guidance on these opportunities can be found on our Toolkits page, but if you would like more tailored advice then please select your local area to find out more about the organisations working there.

Opportunities and support in your local area

If you would like to explore more strategic approaches to providing employer encounters in schools, see the below opportunities in your local area.

Barnsley

In Barnsley More and Better Jobs is the overarching strategy for employment and skills which aims to help people Get Ready for Work, Get Into Work and Get on (and Stay In) Work.  Getting Ready for Work brings together our projects for young people:

IKIC

IKIC , I Know I Can aims to raise the aspirations of young people. It is about building confidence……
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Task Force

The More and Better Jobs Employer Promise aims to engage with businesses operating in Barnsley and…..

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SYF Coaching

The South Yorkshire Futures Coaching in Schools Project aims to support young people in Barnsley….

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Doncaster

Opportunities Doncaster

Opportunities Doncaster is an organisation that has been co created by Doncaster Chamber and Doncaster Council…..

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Rotherham

Rotherham Investment and Development Office 

With the recent launch of  the Rotherham Together Partnership’s Employment and Skills Strategy…..

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Sheffield

Sheffield Business Together

Sheffield has a proud history of philanthropy and collaboration for good between the private, public and voluntary sectors…..

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Sheffield Hallam is an applied university. We’re committed to practical solutions — ones that enable healthier lives, build stronger communities, and drive future economies.

We provide start-up, SME and blue-chip organisations with diverse, innovative solutions that can make all the difference to the way they work and what they produce.

This is achieved not only through our wide resources of student and graduate talent, but through our expert, industry-focused academics and state-of-the-art facilities.

So, whether you’re looking to recruit bright new minds for your team, get expert industry advice, develop your workforce or find a bespoke solution to fit your needs, Sheffield Hallam University is open for business.

Find out more below, or get in touch on 0114 225 5000

https://www.shu.ac.uk/business

I know I can Logo

IKIC , I Know I Can aims to raise the aspirations of young people. It is about building confidence; creating dreams and aspirations; raising qualification levels; strengthening life skills; using help and support; taking ownership and developing a real I Know I Can attitude. Under this banner we run a range of activities to increase the aspiration and employability skills of young people including The Big Challenge to develop entrepreneurial skills, Takeover Days, where young people get a hands on taste of the world of work, our annual fair for young people Ambition Barnsley, support for apprenticeships and training.

Task force Barnsley logo

The More and Better Jobs Employer Promise aims to engage with businesses operating in Barnsley and encourage and support them to make offers to work with education, to adopt inclusive recruitment methods and provide training and wellbeing support to their current workforce, so that everyone has the opportunity to progress their careers and thrive in work.

South Yorkshire Futures Logo

The South Yorkshire Futures Coaching in Schools Project aims to support young people in Barnsley on their education journey through coaching.

The project works with Year 7/8 pupils who would benefit from working on issues of personal effectiveness; providing a structured, confidential space in which pupils can explore what might be holding them back and action plan to help them progress.

We are looking for pools of volunteer coaches from a variety of professional settings to be trained by Sheffield Business School. Once trained you will be allocated a pupil from Outwood Academy Shafton in Barnsley to whom you will develop a coaching relationship.

For further information and application form please see the links below.

Opportunities Doncaster Logo

Opportunities Doncaster is an organisation that has been co created by Doncaster Chamber and Doncaster Council to bring education and business together to raise awareness and aspirations of young people within the borough.

Our aim is to showcase to students the wide range of career opportunities available in Doncaster and to do this, we support businesses to showcase their organisation and build their future talent pipeline. Our mission is to support every young person in Doncaster, by increasing the number of meaningful encounters they have with businesses to support their move from education into a rewarding and successful career.

We bring schools and businesses together so students can learn about employment opportunities in our region, and develop the necessary skills and experience. Meeting and working with business professionals is the best way to demystify careers and help young people prepare for their futures.

We support businesses through our Doncaster Tool kit, and ensuring they get what they want from their work with young people.

We work directly with parents, carers and communities to support pupils from secondary schools, through to sixth form and further education, and with both state and independent schools.

We support the SEND community and have a dedicated SEND team that are passionate about increasing the number of disability confident employers.

Visit our website to find out more.

Rotherham investment and development office logo

With the recent launch of  the Rotherham Together Partnership’s Employment and Skills Strategy ‘Extending Prosperity to All’ Rotherham is on a journey , working  with partners in business, education and the community, to provide the skilled workforce needed now and in the future.

Our vision for Rotherham is for the economy to continue to grow sustainably and to work with businesses, residents and wider partners to ensure that everyone in Rotherham has a good standard of education and equality of access to skills development leading to high levels of employment and decent levels of pay.

As well as supporting business investors with growth, skills development and disability confidence, Rotherham is actively involved in supporting educational institutions working towards the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks for good careers education and guidance to help better prepare young people for the world of work.

Rotherham aims to:

  • Actively work with Sheffield City Region to secure investment and resources.
  • Support and promote the importance of investing in the existing and future workforce.
  • Build strong alliances between business, schools, educational institutions and apprenticeship and training providers.
  • Address inequality in the economy and within communities.
Visit our website to find out more

Sheffield Business Together Logo

Sheffield has a proud history of philanthropy and collaboration for good between the private, public and voluntary sectors.

Sheffield Business Together (SBT) aims to increase employer led volunteering in a co-ordinated way, brokering relationships and increasing the impact.

Our vision is to strategically connect, share and harness the resources of businesses and charities to address some of the key challenges facing the city and our communities.

Our focus is around four key themes:

  • Third sector sustainability; committing to cross sector skills sharing and mentoring
  • Employment / Education; Improving social mobility by upskilling students and increasing positive experiences with employers
  • Environment; reducing air pollution, promoting recycling and encouraging the public to take care of our city.
  • Social Action; brokering cross sector relationships to tackle the social challenges we are facing in the city of  Sheffield

If you’d like to get involved or find out more