Make a difference, give back to your community and raise awareness of your business or industry
Give an Hour is a national initiative! A great way to make a difference, give back to your community and raise awareness of your business or industry supporting your Corporate Social Responsibility along with wider personal and professional benefits.
You can’t be what you can’t see. For some young people in our region who are preparing to make the next step into employment, the transition is daunting. Through our brilliant and growing network, we are making high quality careers information a reality, working in partnership to support young people to make confident, informed choices.
Our volunteer programmes have space for business professionals across the region.
Select from Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes or Northamptonshire in the table below to find volunteering opportunities near you.
| Event Date | Event Time | Year Groups | Name | Post Code | Event Type | Aim | What you need volunteers to do |
| 23/04/24 | 09.00-14.00 | 9-13 | Cedars Upper School | LU7 2AE | Careers Fair | For students to explore the different options available to them in the world of work | Talk about their role and other roles within their organisations. |
| 21/05/2024 | 8.45-11.00 | 8 | Alameda Middle School | MK45 2QR | Career Carousel | To provide pupils information and inspire them of the vast array of careers/field of work that is out there, routes in to careers. | This will run a little like ‘speed dating’, where we would like you to share information about your career or careers available in the field of work or in the company, as well as routes into it. Pupils will have the opportunity to ask you questions about it |
| 05/06/24 | 9.15-17.15 | 12 | Wixams Academy | MK42 6BA | KS5 Careers Day | To inform students about apprenticeships | Talk to students about their apprenticeship – What was the application process like? What is it like to be an apprentice, do you have any tips for people looking for an apprenticeship |
| 08/07/24 to 12/07/24 | TBA | 12 | Mark Rutherford | MK41 8PX | Work Experience | To give students the opportunity to work in a business/company for a week, enabling them to gain experience of the working world | Provide a work placement for a week for a student/s, from 9-5 or similar working hours |
| 08/07/24 | 8:45 -12:00 | 8 or 10 | Lincroft Academy | MK43 7RE Bedfordshire | Speed Networking Mock Interviews | Year 8 Options – to inform students of different career paths/roles & relevance to options choices Year 10 Pre-Work Experience mock interviews, what to expect on WEX | Y8 Event Speak to small groups of students re their career path/job roles Y10 Event Ask interview questions to small groups of students, one answers, maybe 2 observe, make notes etc |
| 12/07/24 | 08:00 – 13:00 | 10 | Samuel Whitbread Academy | SG17 5QS | Mock Interviews | Develop our year 10 students confidence and interview skills | Interview students, the questions will be prepared for you in advance and refreshments will be provided. |
| Every Tuesday | 1.15pm – 2pm | All year groups | Harlington Upper School | LU5 6NX Bedfordshire | Employer Insights | Employers to come in and speak to students about their job, career journey, and employability tips/advice. | Speak to students, talk about their job and career journey. |
| Every Wednesday | 2.30pm – 4pm | Year 12 and Year 13 | Harlington Upper School | LU5 6NX Bedfordshire | Apprenticeship Enrichment | Give students an insight into the different apprenticeship opportunities. | Speak to students about undertaking an apprenticeship and answer any questions they have. We are also need employers to do Mock interviews. |
| Any Thursday or Friday | 14.10 -14.35 | 5 to 8 | Holywell Middle School | MK43 0JA Bedfordshire | Careers assemblies | To give every child in the school at least one career themed assembly per term, from a wide variety of sectors. Year group assemblies. 180 students per year group. | Talk to large group of students about your job, how you got into it, qualifications/skills needed etc and to allow time at the end for pupil questions. |
| Flexible – Tuesday or Thursday | Flexible | Aged 16+ | Central Bedfordshire College – The Incuba | LU61AA | Insight into Sustainabilty Careers | To give students a relevant and better understanding of industry related to sustainability – in ground heat pumps, sustainable heating, solar panels and electric car chargers. So they are able to make informed decisions on what they may choose to do in the future. | Give information on ground heat pumps, electric car chargers, solar panels & sustainable heating. |
| Flexible | Flexible | Aged 16+ | Central Bedfordshire College | LU61AA | Careers Insight for Digital Media | To give students an insight into careers in the industry, or an opportunity to experience a typical task/technique/software used within the industry. | Provide an interactive session of up to 1 hour, either at the college, or at a place provided by the volunteer, for a group of up to 50 students (can be as low as 10) |
| Flexible | Flexible | Aged 16+ | Central Bedfordshire College | LU61AA | Careers Insight Hair and Beauty | To give students an insight into careers in the industry, or an opportunity to experience a typical task/technique used within the industry. | Provide an interactive session of up to 1 hour, either at the college, or at a place provided by the volunteer, for a group of up to 50 students (can be as low as 10) |
| Event Date | Event Time | Year Groups | Name | Post Code | Event Type | Aim | What you need volunteers to do |
| 16/04/24 | 8.40 -10.00 am | 10 | Chiltern Academy | LU1 3GF | BESP | Increase students understanding of: the world of work, recruitment processes and the different pathways into your sector | Speed networking discussion re: entry routes, progression pathways and skills needed |
| 23/04/24 | 8.40 -10.00 am | 10 | Denbigh High School | LU3 1HE | BESP | Increase student’s understanding of: the world of work, recruitment processes and the different pathways into your sector | Speed networking discussion re: entry routes, progression pathways and skills needed |
| 23/04/24 | 9-11am | 7 | Icknield High School | LU3 2AH | Speed networking event | Increase students understanding of: the world of work, recruitment processes and the different pathways into your sector | Speed networking discussion re: entry routes, progression pathways and skills needed |
| 24/04/24 | 9am-12pm | 9 | Chalk Hills Academy | LU4 0NE | World of Work Mock Interviews | For students to practise and experience what an interview is like, improve their communication and develop thoughtful responses to common interview questions | Ask interview questions to small groups of students on a rotation – volunteers will be briefed beforehand |
| 30/04/24 | 8.40 -10.00 am | 10 | Chiltern Academy | LU1 3GF | BESP | Increase students understanding of: the world of work, recruitment processes and the different pathways into your sector | Speed networking discussion re: entry routes, progression pathways and skills needed |
| Monday 13th – Friday 17th May 2024 | All day | 10 | Challney High School for Boys | LU4 9TJ | Work Experience | Develop students employability skills, understanding of a workplace setting and confidence in interacting with adults | Provide a student or a group of students with a work experience placement during our 5 day work experience |
| 17/05/24 | 9 am-12 pm | 8 | Chalk Hills Academy | LU4 0NE | World of Work Mock Interviews | For students to practise and experience what an interview is like, improve their communication and develop thoughtful responses to common interview questions | Ask interview questions to small groups of students on a rotation – volunteers will be briefed beforehand |
| Event Date | Event Time | Year Groups | Name | Post Code | Event Type | Aim | What you need volunteers to do |
| 23/04/24 | 16:30 – 18:30 | 10 and 11 | Stantonbury School | MK14 6BN | Special Educational Needs Careers (SEN) Fair | To support our students to understand that they have many options to gain employment, whilst promoting equal opportunities and highlighting the valuable skills our young people have and how organisations embrace neurodiversity and other specialist skills. | Volunteers would be setting up an exhibition stand to explain more about their organisation, business, industry and entry routes in to employment in their setting. Ideally bringing the workplace to life with some some interactive activities to help our students to learn and understand what they can expect to be doing if they worked for you If you have any apprentices, bring them along and show case the amazing work they are involved in. |
| 22/05/24 | All day | 8 & 10 | St Paul’s Catholic school | MK6 5EN Milton Keynes | Careers Fair | To give pupils the opportunity for meaningful encounters with a range of providers to understand the pathways available to them. | We will provide them with a stand and they will meet pupils throughout the event to talk about routes into their sector, qualifications and job opportunities. |
| Event Date | Event Time | Year Groups | Name | Post Code | Event Type | Aim | What you need volunteers to do |
| 16/04/24 | 11:00 – 16:00 | 9 to 13 | Sponne | NN12 6DJ | Careers Fair | To introduce students to the different careers and businesses they could go into after school | Employers, organisations, businesses to come along and showcase range of careers, jobs and pathways into your industry and inform them of full range of options post 16 including further & higher education |
| 02/05/24 | 8.30-15.15 | 10 | Bishop Stopford School | NN15 6BJ | Enterprise day | Develop students employability and enterprise skills through team games, activities and presentations. | To support students undertaking set enterprise tasks via a range of group work activities. Your role would be to encourage students working on tasks, help to review and assess tasks, and presentations, and assist in selecting teams for prizes from their presentations. The day is directed and structured by the Young Enterprise Company. https://www.young-enterprise.org.uk/what-we-do/ Students will be in our main hall and will work at tables in groups of 6. We aim to allocate our employers 2 or 3 groups for the day.z |
| 03/05/24 | 8.30-15.15 | 10 | Bishop Stopford School | NN15 6BJ | Enterprise day | Develop students employability and enterprise skills through team games, activities and presentations. | To support students undertaking set enterprise tasks via a range of group work activities. Your role would be to encourage students working on tasks, help to review and assess tasks, and presentations, and assist in selecting teams for prizes from their presentations. The day is directed and structured by the Young Enterprise Company. https://www.young-enterprise.org.uk/what-we-do/ Students will be in our main hall and will work at tables in groups of 6. We aim to allocate our employers 2 or 3 groups for the day.z |
| 22/05/24 | 09:00 – 15:00 | 10 | DSLV Daventry | NN11 4LJ | Year 10 mock interviews | Give year 10 students their first taste of a job interview and help them learn the dos and donts | Needed for ½ hour slots and would see 10 students in a day so need around 15 employers – lunch provided |
| 13/06/24 | 09:00 – 15:00 | 10 | Shenley Brook End School | MK5 7ZT | Careers Festival | To allow all our Year 10 students at the 5 Dimensions Trust an opportunity to meet with local and regional education and training providers and broaden both their horizons and their knowledge about future careers and pathways. | Volunteers would be provided with an exhibition area within the school theatre allowing students to move around the event in an exhibition format. |
| 26/06/24 | 8.30-15.15 | 9 | Bishop Stopford School | NN15 6BJ | Enterprise day | Develop students employability and enterprise skills through team games, activities and presentations. | To students undertaking set enterprise tasks via a range of group work activities. Your role would be to encourage students working on tasks, help to review and assess tasks, and presentations, and assist in selecting teams for prizes. Students will work in small teams in a classroom with a teacher leading and directing the pre-set activities. You would work with the same classroom groups across the day approx. 18-24 students. There will be groups in 4 classrooms all coming together for presentations and prizes towards the end of the day. We would also like you to provide an overview of your career journey and the company you work for to these students. |
| 27/06/24 | 8.30-15.15 | 9 | Bishop Stopford School | NN15 6BJ | Enterprise day | Develop students employability and enterprise skills through team games, activities and presentations. | To students undertaking set enterprise tasks via a range of group work activities. Your role would be to encourage students working on tasks, help to review and assess tasks, and presentations, and assist in selecting teams for prizes. Students will work in small teams in a classroom with a teacher leading and directing the pre-set activities. You would work with the same classroom groups across the day approx. 18-24 students. There will be groups in 4 classrooms all coming together for presentations and prizes towards the end of the day. We would also like you to provide an overview of your career journey and the company you work for to these students. |
| 27/06/24 | 11.00 – 12.40 | 9 | Prince William School | PE8 4BS | Maths Career Focus | To motivate, inspire and improve the aspirations of our young people. | A 10 to 15 minute presemntation covering how they found maths at school, their journey to their current job, what maths they use regularly & what they enjoy about their job. |
| 01/07/23 | 09:30 – 11:30 | 8 and 9 | DSLV Daventry | NN11 4LJ | Dragons Den | DSLV E-ACT academy are holding a Dragons Den event for years 8 and 9 from 1-3 July. | Volunteers will be required to support students with their enterprise, give feedback and judge the entries. Need to fill 7 x 2 hour slots with employers . minimum commitment would be 2 hours, maximum commitment ½ a day (4 hours) |
| 05/07/24 | 12.20-16.30 | 10 opening to all after school | Lodge Park Academy | NN17 2JH | Lodge Park Academy Careers Fair | Broaden the aspirations of our students. Challenge stereotypes. Increase students’ awareness of the vast array of careers available to them. Raise awareness of different pathways into careers. Give students and their families the opportunity to speak to local employers and gain knowledge from their experience. | Host a stand, speak to students and answer any questions they may have about the workplace and routes for that career path. |
| 12/07/24 | 09.00 – 13.30 | 8, 10, 12 | Huxlow Academy | NN9 5TY | Careers Fair | To provide encounters with employees and HE providers so that students are aware of options beyond GCSE’s and A Levels | Stalls to advise students and inform them of careers choices, workplace opportunities, apprenticeships, courses available, programmes of study/work etc. |
| 15/07/24 | 8.45-15.15 | 7-10 | Guilsborough Academy | NN6 8QE | ‘Squashed Tomatoes’ engineering challenge | We’re running the Squashed Tomato Challenge: https://practicalaction.org/schools/squashed-tomato-challenge/#resources This will be a day-long project, run on 4 consecutive days on a carousel with a number of other activities for our Enrichment Week. Each day will be one year group from year 7 to year 10. | We’d love some engineering experts to support our teachers in the classroom to inspire, encourage and enthuse our students and support them in their design, build and presentation processes. We’re also looking for people who have a background in charity / community projects who might like to help launch the project each day. |
| 18/07/24 | 10:00 – 13:00 | 10 | Abbeyfield School | NN4 8BU | Careers Fair | To link employers with students | Volunteers to have a stand at the careers fair to discuss their organisation to students. |
| Flexible | TBC | 9 | Sir Christopher Hatton Academy | NN8 4RP | Year 9 Work Place Visits | To provide our year 9 students with an experience of the work place which is relevant to their chosen options subjects. This will bring the curriculum to life and support our students in gaining an overview of what it is like to be in a work place as well as the jobs available in that specific industry. | We are looking for a large organisation, local to the Wellingborough / Northampton area what would be willing to provide a work place visit for a coach size group of students studying Business, ICT and Computer Science . The visit would be fully staffed by subject teachers. & ideally activities would include; a tour of the workplace, finding out about about jobs & the industry and for students to complete an activity / task and gain feedback on their performance. |
| Any day | 9:05 – 15:15 | 10 – 13 | Manor School | NN9 6PA | Class careers talks – 1hour | Depending on your capacity to provide students with an insight into your career journey, day to day activity in role, sector or routes, qualifications, training, skills required. To provide insight into recruitment practices, salaries, best/worst aspects. | Flexible with focus of the sessions for groups of max 25 students. Interesting and engaging talks or presentations and any hands on tasks/activity or props/accessories for students to see/try. |
This is an opportunity for you to help build the talent of the future, create lasting relationships with potential employees, and give back to your community. Your unique industry knowledge and experience is an invaluable resource to students and can help make a real difference in a young person’s future.
To volunteer, email [email protected] stating which activity you are interested in and our local Enterprise Coordinator will introduce you to the school Careers Leader.
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