Announcement Blog

Employer Ambassadors for Diplomas in Bristol.

Posted on: Monday 29 September 2008

Employer ambassadors are representatives of the industry they work in and are people who have volunteered to become involved in the Diploma programme. Employer Ambassadors will bring real-life experience to young people in schools and colleges, to motivat

Why is employer support necessary?
The aim of developing a network of employer ambassadors is to have a member of staff designated, as part of their job role, to liaise with Local Area Partnerships/Diploma Champions and to host work placements. Employer support is needed because:

• 50% of Diploma delivery needs to be in, about, or for work
• Teachers need access to support and professional development opportunities from industry experts
• Employers have long argued that the current system is failing to meet many workplace needs – young people with employability skills
• The traditional work experience model is not sufficient

Why become an Employer Ambassador?
As well as being a rewarding experience, becoming an ambassador opens the door to numerous opportunities, for example:

• Personal and professional development
• The opportunity to strengthen communication, planning and presentation skills
• The chance to talk about and promote your profession
• Another dimension to your professional role
• Enjoyment
• A sense of achievement and satisfaction
• A fresh perspective on day-to-day work
• Knowledge and skills framework
• An opportunity to make a difference in the Bristol community

What qualities are needed to become an Employer Ambassador?
No formal qualifications are required but the ability and willingness to work with young people and teachers in a wide variety of settings and an understanding of the issues facing young people in today’s society is vital. The following qualities are also important:

• Enthusiasm - being enthusiastic about what you do and about working with young people is a must.
• Knowledge - however you will not be expected to know about all Diplomas or know the answer to every question.
• The ability and willingness to communicate – you will meet all sorts of people of all ages and all abilities. You will need to be able to talk to everyone at an appropriate level.
• The ability to represent your Industry in a positive way and to talk about the benefits of working towards a Diploma.

What would you be expected to do?
Possible activities might include:

• Work experience placements
• Careers advice and information
• Taster/enrichment days and workshops
• Mentoring, mock interviews
• Planning and evaluating activities
• Network building
• Tours, visits, talks
• Helping to assess students work
• Strengthen business/education partnerships
• Resource development – pod cast, Youtube, DVDs etc
• Ambassador support

A Child Protection and Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check will be required if you become involved in activities where you may be left with a young person alone.

Your time:
There will be a regular Employer Ambassador's network meeting for planning events and activities. Attendance is not obligatory as any information will be shared with the Employer Ambassador's network group via email. As well as planned activities it is envisaged that at least an hour a week would be spent assisting with planning or networking.

I hope that many of you will be interested in becoming an Employer Ambassador for Bristol. If you do please contact either Rhian Priest on the contact details below or the EBP@Connexions

Rhian Priest
Diploma Development Co-ordinator
Tel: 0117 9031 244
Fax: 0117 9031 260
Email: rhian.priest@bristol.gov.uk

Joe Constant
Regional Diploma Champion South West of England
Mobile: 07768 857803
Email: joe@kickstartenterprise.com