Employer Spotlight: Alison Cornes, Barlow Andrews — Why Budgeting is a Skill for Life

In June 2025, local employers joined students at Bolton Impact Trust - Youth Challenge for STEM Week — bringing industries like banking, engineering, neon design, and wealth planning to life.

Among them were Alison Cornes & Mark Dearden ACA from Barlow Andrews, who delivered a practical, hands-on budgeting session that showed students why managing money is such an essential life skill.

We asked Alison after the event for her thoughts.

Q&A with Alison Cornes
Can you tell us a bit about your role and the industry you work in?
I’m currently an Audit Partner at Barlow Andrews, where I primarily work with medium-sized companies, helping ensure they remain compliant with their statutory responsibilities. I lead a team of 22, which includes everyone from new trainees to experienced senior managers. A big part of my role also involves training and mentoring our apprentices. I’m involved right from initial interview stage and continue to support them all the way through to qualification.

What path did you take to be in that role?
I actually left school at 18 and started work as a trainee in accountancy - quite similar to today’s apprenticeships, although those formal routes weren’t available at that time. It was very much a learning-by-doing experience, and it gave me a great foundation for the career I’ve built since.

What activity did you lead with the young people as part of STEM week and Youth Challenge?
As part of STEM Week, a colleague and I delivered a budgeting session to a group of students. We gave them an Excel spreadsheet and tasked them with planning their finances for life after school – looking at potential income, expenses, and seeing if they could manage a realistic monthly budget. It was a hands-on, eye-opening exercise for many of them.

Do you have a favourite moment from the day?
Honestly, my favourite moment was seeing how engaged some of the students became. You could see the penny drop for a few of them – the realisation that life is expensive and that budgeting is essential. One student even joked that a Bugatti might not be in his future! Moments like that really make these sessions worthwhile.

What made you decide to volunteer for STEM week?
I’m really passionate about helping young people, especially when it comes to managing their finances. It’s not something that’s routinely taught in schools, yet it's such an essential life skill. Not every student has someone at home to guide them in this area, and if I can make even a small difference to a few students, that’s hugely rewarding.

What impact do you hope your involvement has had on the young people?
I think we had a positive impact on the students. You could clearly tell that some of them were realising that they will have to pay for their own mobile phones and social activities in the future. Many hadn’t grasped before that a salary of £20,000 doesn’t equate to that much in your bank account. It led to some really thoughtful conversations.

How much time have you given?
Surprisingly little, actually. It took a couple of hours to prepare, and we spent half a day on site. It’s a relatively small-time commitment for the potential impact it can have.

Has volunteering had any unexpected benefits for you?
Volunteering brings huge personal rewards. There’s a real sense of achievement in being able to support and inspire others. For me, it also pushes me outside of my comfort zone – working with young people who often have no background in finance is very different from working with seasoned professionals, but it’s refreshing.

Why do you think it's important for employers to get involved in schools?
It is so important for employers to get involved with schools so that students know what is out there. Many secondary schools still promote the university route, but this is not suitable to everyone. Students need to see that coming into the workplace via an apprenticeship has huge rewards. You get hands on experience and will learn your trade so much quicker, whilst also getting paid!

What would you say to other businesses considering getting involved in initiatives like this?
I’d strongly encourage it. It’s not only beneficial for the students – giving them real insight into the world of work – but it’s incredibly rewarding for the businesses involved as well. It’s a great way to spot future talent and contribute positively to your community.

A Huge Thank You
A massive thank you to Alison Cornes & Mark Dearden ACA from Barlow Andrews for creating a session that was practical engaging and showcasing a life skill around budgeting.

What’s Next? Opportunities for Employers to Get Involved
We’re now planning the next school year of activities, and we’d love to welcome more employers on board. Whether you’ve volunteered before or this would be your first time, your industry story could be the spark that shapes a young person’s career.

Upcoming opportunities in 2025/26 include:

• Explore Your Future – Careers Carousel

Wednesday 19 November 2025, 9am – 1pm
We are looking for 12 employers/businesses to showcase their industry and run mock interviews

• Prep For Success – Mock Interviews

Wednesday 21 January 2026, 9am – 1pm
We are looking for a volunteer to run a preparation session around what to expect and how to prepare for

interviews

Wednesday 28 January 2026, 9am – 1pm
We are looking for 10 volunteers to run 15-minute mock interviews

• STEM in Action Week

The week of 22 – 26 June 2026
We are looking for 5 employers from STEM industries to showcase their sector, plus 5 employers/businesses to run mock interviews

If you’d like to get involved, please contact Pam Molyneux, Volunteer Special Enterprise Advisor - [email protected] We’d love to hear from you.

Building Futures Together
Together, employers like Alison are showing that Bolton is full of opportunities for young people — and we’d love to add your business to that story.