As a Business Adviser your role is to take a more consultative, facilitative approach to your support and you should avoid telling the students what to do.
Your role is to offer encouragement and expertise to students. For many you will be the first person from the world of work they have spoken to. However it can be tough to engage students at the beginning of your Company Programme experience. It is important to work closely with your Centre Lead, especially at the beginning when you are forming relationships with the students you are working with and help with early discussions. From the outset, the students should see you as the primary facilitator of their Programme experience.
The table below sets out the difference in responsibilities between you and the Centre Lead:
Role/Responsibility |
Centre Lead |
Business Adviser |
Recruiting and signing students up and registering the student company onto the Programme. Ensuring students are signed up to YE Digital Connect (Eng & Wales only) | ✓ | |
Ensuring students have access to school resources, e.g. room for meetings with access to digital projection. Promoting the Centre’s participation in the Programme with staff colleagues and Senior Team | ✓ | |
Welcoming the BA and being available as the ongoing point of contact for BA, as required. Ensuring that the BA is made aware of centre-specific safeguarding policies and procedures | ✓ | |
Regularly attending weekly board meetings. Please note that the CL or a member of school staff will be required to be present for any video conferencing meetings. | ✓ | |
Ensuring that the teams operate within necessary legal parameters, the Programme rules and sound practices | ✓ | |
Ensuring that the team understand and follow sensible financial management practices and maintain an appropriate level of financial control | ✓ | |
Facilitating the experiential learning opportunity | ✓ | |
Observing the team in action and helping all team members to make an appropriate contribution | ✓ | |
Helping the team to establish appropriate communication mechanisms, (which can include the CL and BA in a suitable, safe fashion) | ✓ | |
Encouraging the students, fostering their enthusiasm and focus, and helping them recover from setbacks as necessary | ✓ | ✓ |
Sharing lessons and experiences to enhance the realism of the Programme experience and reinforce learning | ✓ | |
Securing permissions in line with school policy for students to attend events if necessary | ✓ | |
Helping the teams make the necessary preparations for key events such as online competitions | ✓ |