Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to enable people with local business expertise to enhance teaching in schools.

The government wants to see more schools and employers working together to help open young people’s eyes to the world of work. We have funded a new, independent careers and enterprise company to help businesses and schools to engage with each other more easily so that young people get the inspiration and guidance they need to leave school or college ready to succeed in working life.

Business people also have an important role to play in school governance, bringing a range of transferable skills to help governing bodies carry out their demanding strategic functions. In May 2014 we launched the Inspiring Governors Alliance to bring together all organisations with a role to play in increasing both demand for and supply of high quality governors, particularly from the world of work. We have awarded £1m of funding in 2015-16 to embed a strategic partnership between SGOSS, Governors for Schools and the Education and Employers’ Taskforce at the heart of the alliance to engage employers and help schools find the high quality governors they need.