We are Career Ready

The national social mobility charity at the heart of a network of employers and educators who all believe that every young person, regardless of background, deserves the opportunity to kickstart a rewarding future.

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Find out how Career Ready can help you

Who we are
Our programme
Our impact
Who we support
Where we work

We are Career Ready

#InvestInYoungTalent

The national social mobility charity at the heart of a network of educators and employers who all believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to kickstart a rewarding future

Find out more

Our CEO

We are Career Ready

The national social mobility charity at the heart of a network of educators and employers who all believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to kickstart a rewarding future

Find out more

Who we are

We are a UK social mobility charity at the heart of a network of employers, volunteers, schools, and colleges.

Together, we boost social mobility by delivering a structured programme of mentoring and a paid internship, masterclasses, and workplace visits for young people from under-represented backgrounds.

In 2025 we supported 3,319 young people across our programme cohorts, providing them with the skills, self-esteem, and social capital to kickstart their futures.

Our work is enabled by our network of employer partners and volunteers who see lasting benefits to their business and the communities in which they work.

My internship at Marsh McLennan gave me the opportunity to show everyone – and myself – what I’m capable of. I got real experience of what it’s like to work in insurance, and I was able to network with people in the industry.

Ariglesida, Career Ready Alumnus

why we exist

Our programme

For over 20 years we’ve worked in areas of need across the UK to change lives and boost social mobility by connecting young people aged 15-18 to workplace opportunities and support. We deliver a structured programme of mentoring, a paid internship, masterclasses and workplace visits.

When students graduate from the Career Ready programme, they join a growing UK-wide network of over 4,000 fellow alumni, employers, and volunteers to help them in taking their talent to the next level.

The programme challenged me from day one and raised my aspirations. There was something exciting about meeting new people and, through them, I was able to collect early experiences and lessons about the world of work. These have been lasting and have served me well throughout university and into my job at Morgan Stanley.

Ryan Thorne, Career Ready Alumnus

Mentoring

Monthly meetings between young people and their mentor at mentor’s workplace

Paid internship

A four week paid summer internship for young people at their mentor’s organisation

Masterclasses

Six masterclasses delivered by employer volunteers at key points in the programme

Workplace visits

Young people are inspired with insights into organisations and sectors, may be combined with a masterclass

Alumni Network

Sustained support for our young people through our Alumni Network as they take their next steps in employment and education

Our impact

Across the UK thousands of young people have had life changing experiences through our programme.

Laura’s support has helped me so much. My confidence has grown and she’s helped me with my CV as well as my personal statement to university. Thanks to her guidance, I now feel prepared to study pharmacy at university.

Zahrah Aljurani, Career Ready Alumnus

98%

of 2024 alumni have gone onto higher education, work, or apprenticeships

93%

of students rated their skills a strength by the end of the programme

96%

of students said their self-confidence grew

97%

of students felt able to make career decisions which were right for them by the end of the programme

Our impact

Who we support

For those who will benefit the most

As a social mobility charity we work with young people, schools, and colleges who, research shows, face the barriers in education and employment which cause their talents to often go undiscovered and unfulfilled.

By prioritising where we work, the schools and colleges we partner with, and the young people who need our support the most, we’re able to make a difference where it truly matters . We empower young people who, research shows, face barriers in education and employment.

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As a social mobility charity, we support those who need a platform to reach their potential, working with young people who meet a combination of criteria, including the following: