Working in Partnership with Employers

At Inspire Education Group, our Employer Engagement team partners with more than 1,000 organisations to help develop and strengthen their workforce locally, regionally and nationally.

We believe the most powerful way to achieve this is through a proactive, collaborative partnership with you, our region's employers. For us, Employer Engagement is not merely a function; it is a core strategic priority. It signifies a deep, shared commitment where businesses are involved in every stage of our educational provision from the design and delivery of courses to their evaluation.

Our goal is straightforward: to ensure that the skills training we offer is precisely aligned with your current and future workforce demands, placing your needs at the very heart of skills provision. By working together, we shape a future where education directly fuels economic growth, meets the evolving skills needs of our region, and cultivates the highly skilled, work-ready individuals essential for your business and our collective prosperity. We are unequivocally committed to the prosperity of organisations in our region.

Join us to be a catalyst for empowering your industry and our community.

Opportunities for Employers

Powering regional prosperity through talent is a shared goal. Inspire Education Group (IEG) provides a variety of flexible engagement models designed to meet your specific business needs, from strategic workforce planning to short-term project support.

Explore the opportunities below to find the partnership model that best fits your organisation and helps you access the talent you need.

Our most impactful partnerships involve strategic collaboration, helping you to directly influence the future talent pool in our region. Work with our curriculum teams to ensure qualifications, content, and training delivery models are aligned with current and future industry demands

  • Shape the Curriculum: Ensure students have the exact skills you need, reducing future training costs and time-to-competency.
  • Advisory Boards & Governance: Join our Industry Advisory Boards to provide high-level strategic direction and feedback on industry trends.
  • Influence IEG's Direction: Position your company as a thought leader and gain early insight into emerging talent and educational initiatives.
  • Industry Projects & Live Briefs: Set real-world challenges or projects for a student or group of students to complete as part of their course.
  • Access Innovation & Solutions: Gain fresh perspectives on business challenges with minimal overhead, using students' cutting-edge academic knowledge.

Apprenticeships are a dynamic, cost-effective way to build a highly skilled workforce, combining on-the-job training with formal academic study. IEG is a leading provider across numerous sectors.

  • The Opportunity: Hire a new apprentice for a permanent role. We handle the recruitment, screening, and academic training, linking them directly to your business. Up-skill current employees with a formal, accredited qualification while they remain productive in their role.
  • Future-Proof Your Workforce: Access motivated individuals who are trained in the exact skills your business needs from day one.
  • Boost Retention & Performance: Increase loyalty, fill internal skill gaps, and improve overall team performance through targeted, relevant training.
  • IEG's Support: Comprehensive support from application to completion, including dedicated Account Managers who ensure the apprenticeship meets all regulatory and quality standards. We consult with you to identify key skill gaps and recommend the most relevant apprenticeship standards to achieve your strategic goal

Provide a meaningful, career-defining experience that transforms a student's learning and provides immediate benefits to your team.

Work Experience:

  • Duration: Typically 1–2 weeks, designed to give students an introduction to the professional environment and sector operations.
  • Low Commitment, High Impact: An excellent way to give back to the community and assess a wide range of young talent quickly, building your community reputation.

Industry Placements:

  • Duration: Longer placements (e.g., 45-60 days for T-Level students) that embed the student within your team to complete a substantial project.
  • Dedicated Project Resource: Gain a high-level resource for an extended period, allowing students to contribute meaningfully to projects and tasks.
  • IEG's Support: Full support and quality assurance, including dedicated Work Experience Placement Officers and Coaches to manage administrative processes and provide clear guidelines for mentorship.
  • Test Drive Future Employees: It provides the deepest assessment of a potential employee’s fit, skills, and work ethic before offering a permanent position

Industry Advisory Boards at Inspire Education Group

Inspire Education Group actively collaborates with industry professionals through our Industry Advisory Boards to ensure our curriculum meets current industry standards. These boards provide valuable insights and guidance, helping us to design programs that are relevant, up-to-date, and align with the needs of the workforce, preparing students for successful careers.

How You Can Help Us Build the Future Workforce:

  • Shape the Curriculum: Join a brief, sector-specific working group to align our courses with your real-world needs and standards.
  • Develop Your Workforce: Utilise apprenticeships to upskill your current staff or recruit new talent. We can help you navigate funding and find the right candidates.
  • Offer Work Experience: Help us foster employability by offering industry placements, guest lectures, or site visits.

The Industry Advisory Boards are focused on the following:

  • Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering
  • Digital Technologies
  • Energy, Decarbonisation, and Net Zero
  • Health & Care
  • Modern Construction
  • Professional Services
  • Education (Talent Pipeline)

Employer Skills Programme

Our Employer Skills programme brings together students, educators and employers to establish long term partnerships that will inspire the next generation and provide our students with the relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours to succeed in the future.

Find out how you can shape your future workforce and the benefits it can bring to your organisation. Download our Employer Skills programme guide below.

To get involved, contact us on 01733 762121 or email apprenticeship.admin@ieg.ac.uk.


"Apprentices have been an integral part of Codem’s growth and recruitment strategy for many years.  IEG understand and support our short, medium and long-term goals."

—   Kevin Doherty, Managing Director at Codem Composites

"Apprentices bring fresh ideas, energy and ambition to our sites, and we’re proud to give them not just the technical skills but also the confidence and support to build their careers."

—   Andy Richards, East Region Production Director at Allison Homes

"Vistry Group have built a fantastic relationship with IEG over the course of 3 years – hosting various building site and timber factory tours, carpentry and brickwork work placements and donated materials."

—   Anneka Jones, Social Value & Bid Coordinator at Vistry Group

Be Bold, Be Brave, Partner With Us

Ready to make an impact on the next generation of talent?

Get in touch

We support employers to develop their people and their organisations. We strive to make a positive contribution to the prosperity and wellbeing of our diverse communities.