Volunteer Business Ambassador

Education Business Partnership (EBP) is a registered charity working with schools and businesses to prepare young people for the workplace through in‑school events, work experience placements and careers fairs. Our initiatives are designed to build confidence and raise aspirations. Our volunteer Business Ambassadors support our in‑school events and bring the world of work to life for the students. We have a wide range of opportunities to choose from (one hour workshops to full day events) and there is no minimum commitment.

Our volunteer Business Ambassadors are the heart and soul of our mission. Their expertise and experience are crucial in enhancing the quality of our in‑school events, aimed at inspiring our future workforce.

What will you be doing?

Our Business Ambassadors select events to attend from our regular e‑newsletters. You could support anything from CV writing practice, interview preparation sessions, mock interview workshops, financial awareness sessions (understanding pay slips, managing a budget, funding university), careers sessions (advising young people about career opportunities available in your sector) or by mentoring students and judging enterprise competitions. The events can range from a 1‑hour workshop to a full day in school. Some events take place virtually and can be joined via Microsoft Teams. Events take place in schools and colleges in and around Berkshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, North Hampshire and Oxfordshire. Our events are predominantly delivered by our Project Officers with input from volunteers. You will always be supported by the Project Officers who will brief you prior to the event and provide you with all the information that you need. Each event requires slightly different input from volunteers depending on the nature of the event. Most events require very little preparation, just your skills and experience to share with the young people. There is no minimum commitment.

About Education Business Partnership

We are a not‑for‑profit company whose mission is: For over 30 years, we have been designing and delivering engaging ways for employers and young people to come together and we know what works. To unite education and business to inspire and equip our future workforce for tomorrow's workplace.

What we do

We deliver education, personal development sessions, careers fairs and work experience to students aged 5‑18. Become a volunteer! It's a great way to share your skills with young people aged 7‑18 and help prepare them for the world of work. We have multiple opportunities to volunteer from September to July, across the whole of the Thames Valley. There is no minimum time requirement or ongoing commitment. Anyone, at any level in your organisation can do it, there is no need for any specific experience as full training will be given on the day. You will not be left alone with students at any time and will always have the full support of both EBP and school staff. It's also an excellent way to learn more about EBP and the schools and students we support.

What skills do I need? What are we looking for?

We are looking for volunteers who are primarily interested in inspiring young people and sharing experience and knowledge. Your work related experience is invaluable to young people. Our volunteers are from a wide variety of backgrounds, career sectors and roles. Some are retired and bring a lifetime of work‑related skills. We would love to have you onboard if you are positive, enthusiastic and encouraging.

What difference will you make?

The young people that we work with are curious and want to know more about the world around them, and having external people in to talk about the future is extremely beneficial. They are keen to hear from you about the world of work. Your experience and knowledge will motivate and inspire them to think about their future and give them confidence in their abilities. Our Business Ambassadors find the events incredibly rewarding. Last year, 100% of our volunteer Business Ambassadors wanted to attend another event!

At EBP, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive community of volunteers who reflect the wide range of backgrounds and experiences of the young people we support. We welcome volunteers from all walks of life, including people of all ages and cultures, those from global majority backgrounds, those from the LGBTQ+ community, those with disabilities, and neurodiverse individuals. We are keen to understand and meet individual support needs wherever we can. We want every young person to feel seen, heard, and represented, and believe that by bringing together volunteers with varied experiences, we can help prepare them for the future with confidence and support. Your unique perspective will help make a real impact!

Once you express an interest, we will let you know about up‑coming events and dates so that you can decide if there is anything you wish to choose from.

When is this role available?

Our events run frequently during term time. They range from one‑hour events to all day and occasionally running over a period of time (Mentoring and Enterprise Challenges with preparation for a competition final). There is no minimum commitment so you can come to one event and see how you find it.