Our INITIATIVES.
How we deliver meaningful change.
Our three interconnected initiatives help to give young people from low income backgrounds the tools, knowledge, exposure, capability & financial support they need to access fulfilling careers.
INITIATIVES OVERVIEW.
We work closely with our Corporate and School Partners to help young people from low-income backgrounds access the resources they need to successfully move into the professional world.
Our initiatives offer guidance, knowledge, experience, and financial support to help navigate this transition.
GUIDANCE
Mentoring Programme
KNOWLEDGE
Future Hub App
EXPERIENCE
Insight Days
ACCESS
The Early Careers Fund
MENTORING PROGRAMME.
Mentoring initiatives consistently show improved outcomes across academic, behavioural, emotional and social areas of young people’s lives. Our two-year programme is available to students at our School Partners during Years 12 and 13.
During this we match them with a dedicated mentor – volunteers from our Corporate Partners – who will advise, guide and coach them through our Self-Discovery and Career Readiness curriculums.
YEAR 1
In the first year of the programme, when students are typically in Year 12, the programme focuses on aiding their ‘Self-Discovery’. Through this process, mentors support our young people to identify their areas of interest, career ambitions, talents and areas for growth through their monthly sessions.
YEAR 2
At the start of year two, mentees may be re-matched with a new mentor who works in an industry that they are interested in entering. Together, they will work through our structured ‘Career Readiness’ sessions to help them prepare for higher education, further training or a fantastic first job.
“Thank you so much for my mentor’s help and support. This has been an amazing experience where I have learnt so much about myself and about life in general and I’m proud to have done so from such an inspiring person. This programme is inspiring, eye-opening and a game changer!”
Mentored by a Strategic Account Executive with:
“The mentoring programme has allowed me to grow into a more confident and mature person by improving my skills. This has all been due to my amazing mentor who’s helped me every step of the way. We schedule our sessions around my timetable which means there’s no added pressure. They always listened to me and gave me really helpful tips and tricks. I’ve truly enjoyed this programme!”
Mentored by a Commercial Pilot with:
“The programme was so insightful and meant I learnt things about myself I wouldn’t have discovered if it wasn’t for my mentor. Thank you, it’s been extremely helpful and I have enjoyed talking to my mentor each month – and I hope we can stay connected in the future!”
Mentored by a HR & People Manager at:
The Early Careers Fund.
When young people graduate from our Mentoring Programme, they will have the opportunity to apply to The Early Careers Fund.
The fund is a means-tested grant that provides financial support to selected individuals to help them with costs as they transition into their next step, and an imperative part of our theory of change in order to make a long-term, sustainable impact on social mobility.
Individuals can receive up to £5,000 for up to three years, which will support them financially as they embark on Higher Education, an apprenticeship, an internship, an entry-level role or further training!
Insight Days.
Hosted in the offices of our Corporate Partners, Insight Days aligns with ECF’s commitment to furthering engagement opportunities for young people at our School Partners.
These events are co-designed and co-delivered by The Early Careers Foundation Team and a Corporate Partner, in order to provide an in-person workplace experience for students at our School Partners. Hosted for either a half-day or full-day, local students can visit the offices of the partner organisation and can experience a range of different sessions alongside the employees such as:
Industry & Sector Learning
CV WRITING WORKSHOPS
PRACTICE INTERVIEWS
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS
FUTURE HUB.
Our app, the Future Hub, will plug the careers knowledge gap by teaching young people about the ‘professional’ world and the career opportunities with it, in a fun and engaging way.
Think of it like the DuoLingo for the world of careers! Young people (11+) attending our School Partners will be able to use the custom-built gamified learning programme with content co-created alongside industry experts in each field.
Our close connection to the early careers industry means that the Future Hub will be one of the most up-to-date career advisory platforms for the commercial sector. The platform will always be growing as industries evolve and new career paths emerge. Young people will learn about:
- Industries Pathways
- Job Functions
- Commerical Awareness
- Skills Development
