I moved to Cumbria 34 years ago as a graduate trainee attracted to the opportunities offered by the nuclear industry and the prospect of living in such a lovely area. This has proved to be a very sound decision and I have enjoyed both a good lifestyle and an exceptionally varied and challenging career.

I have also held a number of key volunteering positions in a major global engineering institution. So I was delighted to be approached to act as the Enterprise Advisor for West Lakes Academy and work with the Enterprise Advisor network.

The UK-wide Enterprise Advisor Network is run by the Careers and Enterprise Company (C&EC). The Network in Cumbria is managed by Inspira on behalf of the Local Enterprise Partnership and the C&EC. The scheme takes people from the business community and places them as advisors with local schools. Working alongside the staff, each Enterprise Advisor supports the creation of a plan to provide high quality careers advice, and then assists in building the required links with local businesses. A typical plan will include relevant work experience, contextualised learning, CV writing and interview practice.

One of our most important aims is encouraging young people to identify and then pursue career opportunities across the whole range of sectors and occupations. In doing this we are able to help sustain every occupation, many of which are of course vital to Cumbria's future, including the medical professions, social care, teaching, leisure, tourism, agriculture and retail.

Careers Guidance needs to be inclusive, so we need to provide focussed support to those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who have special needs as well.

Across everything, we need also to give young people the support they will need in an ever-changing world, in which digitalisation will continue to dominant.

In a word, the work of an Enterprise Advisor is all about DIVERSITY. To find out more about the Cumbria Enterprise Advisor Network visit: Enterprise Adviser Network