Raise lad, we're told (4)
I believe the answer is:
buoy
'raise' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'lad we're told' is the wordplay.
'lad' becomes 'boy' (lad means a young boy).
'we're told' indicates a 'sounds like' (homophone) clue.
'boy' is a homophone of 'BUOY'.
(Other definitions for buoy that I've seen before include "Warning float" , "Floating guide marker" , "Navigational marker" , "Hearten" , "Distinctive float fixed to seabed" .)