Formalising the partnership
At this stage it may make sense to formalise the relationship through developing protocols, agreeing behaviours and nominating key contacts on both sides.
These agreements may need to be updated and reviewed as the partnership develops and to take account of staff turnover.
Developing protocols
The relationship established between employers and schools/colleges should be nurtured so that it continues to benefit students for years to come. To ensure an ongoing good relationship, employers can develop a set of protocols to guide staff in their dealings with schools and colleges.
For example, schools are often encouraged to develop a code of practice to manage the relationship with employer partners. Employers might ask to see this code of practice or indeed develop their own version for their own employees. This will help to ensure that both sides do not forget the promises they made to each other at the outset of the partnership. Look at a sample code of practice to see how a school has built in commitment to its employer partner.
When protocols have been agreed, it can help to secure a long-term partnership that meets everyone's needs. However, if employees who are involved in the education-employer link change roles or move jobs, there is a risk that the partnership will weaken. Employers can guard against such potential problems in a few simple ways.
Securing the future of the partnership
Employers and schools that wish to secure a partnership could develop a written policy to ensure that the practice of employer engagement is embedded into the life and work of the partnership. This would ensure that even if key proponents of employer engagement leave either party, the practice of working together will not desist.
Implementation plans can lead naturally to the formation of a partnership agreement or memoranda of understanding between employers and their education partners: the range of work between the employer and school or college would be incorporated into an overarching document that informs the relationship.
It is increasingly common for an employer to not only ask an employee to coordinate the relationship between school and organisation, but to have that role written into the job description. In this way, employers can ensure that links with schools and projects are not lost when an employee moves on.
View an example memorandum of understanding.