Skills & Employment Alliance Employer Exemplars

Employers that have participated in the schemes offered by the Skills & Employment Alliance will be recognised as Exemplar Employers.

Exemplar Employers are being recognised as leading employers dedicated to skills development, industry standards and sustainable employment. They have shown a commitment to quality careers education outreach by completing the CEC's Employer Standards, to providing quality accredited experiences by taking part in the Industrial Cadets Awards and offering an earn and learn early career opportunity and taking part in The 5% Club Audit.

Current Employer Exemplars

• Balfour Beatty
• Mott MacDonald
• Siemens plc
• Willmott Dixon

Background to your support

The impact of employer exposure appears to have a marked effect on how young people feel about their future, supporting young people strengthens their resilience, builds self confidence and helps them to develop as leaders. The benefit of working with young people is that it is always different. Each young person is unique, they bring their own life experience, needs and expectations. By working with the three partners Willmott Dixon have at least doubled their outreach, been involved in some fabulous events, upskilled over 1000 young people to become Industrial cadets. Through the Employer Standards survey we can compare how we are performing against other organisations, share best practice and have a unique report to present to our board of directors to demonstrate our sustainability objectives.

How do you support young people?

We created bespoke programmes to engage with students from all backgrounds and needs. The programmes supported schools to deliver on their 8 Gatsby Benchmarks of good careers education. Key actions were engaging with the schools over a period of time to gain an understanding of the needs of the school, the students and Willmott Dixon, long term engagement is key to creating trust between all parties and delivering quality meaningful encounters with strong outcomes.

What has been the impact on your business?

Businesses and schools working together produce substantial benefits, it has increased Willmott Dixon Sustainable Impact, made a boost to employees moral and development, built on our brand and raised our profile.

What has been the impact on young people?

It has shaped the future for young people, they gain an understanding of the skills and qualities that are required in the world of work. An understanding of the vast array of job roles out there and the pathways required to get them there.

Written by Marie Wilkes, Head of Social Value at Willmott Dixon