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Employers2021-11-30T10:52:05+00:00

#InvestInYoungTalent and empower young livesfind your future workforceboost social mobilityfutureproof your business

#InvestInYoungTalent and

empower young livesfind your future workforceboost social mobilityfutureproof your business

find out more

    Build a partnership that changes lives

    We believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to kickstart a rewarding future and achieve their potential. However, the futures of far too many young people are determined by background, not talent.

    Those from less advantaged backgrounds are less likely to enter further and higher education, secure professional jobs, and receive higher earnings. For nearly 20 years we’ve worked in partnership with employers across the UK to change this.

    Whether you’re a large or small employer, we have the power to build a partnership which unlocks young talent, boosts social mobility, and adds real value to your workplace.

    Why we exist
    Why we exist
    Paid Internships

    Research shows that our facilitated paid internships are an effective way for employers to boost social mobility, connect with young talent, and future-proof their business. In Scotland each mentoring relationships comes with the commitment to a paid internship.

    Find out more

    Mentoring Young Talent

    Mentoring is a great volunteering opportunity for your team to provide life-changing support and insight to young people at a key stage of their education and employment journey. In Scotland, we ask that each mentoring relationship is matched with an internship.

    Find out more

    Skills Masterclasses

    Masterclasses are a fun and engaging opportunity for your team to help young people develop new skills and become inspired about your sector and company.

    Find out more

    Workplace Visits

    Opening up your workplace can give students their first glimpse into the world of work, boosting their horizons and giving you an inspiring way to see your business in a new light.

    Find out more

    Employee Fundraising

    Fundraising is a great way to boost morale and help us to grow our work to ensure more young people receive life changing support and opportunities.

    Find out more

    Pro-bono Support

    We welcome the opportunity to create bespoke partnerships with employers. Whether it’s digital development or PR, if you think you could help our growth, we’d love to work with you.

    Get in touch

    Research shows that our facilitated paid internships are an effective way for employers to boost social mobility, connect with young talent, and future-proof their business. In Scotland each mentoring relationships comes with the commitment to a paid internship.

    Find out more

    Mentoring is a great volunteering opportunity for your team to provide life-changing support and insight to young people at a key stage of their education and employment journey. In Scotland, we ask that each mentoring relationship is matched with an internship.

    Find out more

    Masterclasses are a fun and engaging opportunity for your team to help young people develop new skills and become inspired about your sector and company.

    Find out more

    Opening up your workplace can give students their first glimpse into the world of work, boosting their horizons and giving you an inspiring way to see your business in a new light.

    Find out more

    We welcome the opportunity to create bespoke partnerships with employers. Whether it’s digital development or PR, if you think you could help our growth, we’d love to work with you.

    Get in touch

    We welcome the opportunity to create bespoke partnerships with employers. Whether it’s digital development or PR, if you think you could help our growth, we’d love to work with you.

    Get in touch

    The impact of our partnerships

    Research shows that our partnerships empower young people, boost social mobility, and add real business value to employers through:

    • Talent pipelines
    • Diversity and inclusion
    • Employee engagement and upskilling
    • Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
    • Brand awareness

    From one GCSE to a first-class degree, that’s my story. I don’t know where I’d be in life if it wasn’t for my internship at Citi.

    Daniel Clarke
    Intern at Citi

    “Having talented young people from the Career Ready programme around to contribute to a range of different projects has led to real change in our office.”
    Sally Dillon, Optimisation Lead, Finance Operations, Aviva

    “We’ve hosted more than 70 Career Ready interns and have recruited over 30 of them to full-time roles, saving us over £120,000 in recruitment costs.”

    Rob Hawkins, Head of Division, Private Clients, St James’s Place Wealth Management
    “Having the opportunity to volunteer and see your company make an active investment gives people a boost, it gives people purpose. They respect the company’s commitment.”
    Wojciech Ilowski, Industry Operations Leader, Marsh
    “Career Ready is a great way to help our junior staff develop the skills needed to become managers, and it provides the opportunity to see what potential team leaders I’ve got.”
    Nancy Flint, Head of EMEA Corporate Access, Citi Group
    “I’m so proud of the partnership that Aviva has with Career Ready, giving opportunity for many people across the organisation to volunteer and work with young people. Our community of volunteers help them as they begin their journey into the world of work, enabling them to find direction, purpose and to unlock their potential.”
    Rachel Glaze, UK Resourcing Lead, Aviva
    0%
    of alumni are in full-time education or employment
    0%
    of employers would hire their Career Ready intern. given the opportunity.
    0%
    of volunteers experienced a positive impact on their skills, wellbeing, or work life

    If you are unsure about how we can help, fill in the form at the bottom of this page and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss opportunities.

    Get in touch

    Our award winning partnerships

    We’ve partnered with hundreds of employers of all sizes across the UK. We were shortlisted at the 2020 and 2021 Charity Times Awards for ‘Charity of the Year’ and won ‘Corporate Partnership of the Year’ in 2020 for our work with Citi.

    Discover more about some of our existing employer partners and how we’ve transformed young lives and added real value to their businesses.

    Citi

    Our partnership with Citi Bank started in 2002 and has helped us to transform the lives of thousands of young people across the UK through mentors, paid internships, masterclasses, local advisory board members, and financial support.

    Read more 

    Foxtons

    Foxtons was our first residential estate agency partner and have helped us to raise valuable funding as well as providing paid internships, mentoring, masterclasses and experience days to young talent.

    Read more 

    Aviva

    Our partnership with Aviva began in 2013 in Glasgow and Perth, Scotland. Since then, Aviva’s support has grown to help enable our work across the UK in London, York, Bristol and Sheffield.

    Read more

    How we support our partners

    We provide a variety of support for our partners so they have everything they need to support the programme and boost social mobility. This can include:

    Data impact reporting

    We provide insights into the life-changing impact you’re making to young lives, as well as how we’re adding business value to your organisation.

    Local delivery manager

    We work in 101 Local Authorities, from Essex to Elgin. Our local delivery managers will work closely with you to ensure effective programme delivery.

    Volunteer journey

    We provide ongoing volunteer support, including training, safeguarding, DBS/PVG support, communications, and tailored programme delivery materials.

    Let’s get started…

    Fill in the form and we’ll be in touch to discuss opportunities for your business.

    #InvestInYoungTalent

      Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

      Our Career Ready programme supports young people aged 16-18 who are in education (15-18 in Scotland)

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

      We support those who need a platform to reach their potential, working with young people who meet a combination of criteria, including the following:

      • Eligible for Free School Meals in the past six years
      • Eligible for Educational Maintenance Allowance
      • Parental occupation indicating lack of access to professional networks and/or low household income
      • No parental history of higher education
      • Physical, mental or learning disability
      • Experience of Local Authority care and/or estranged from family
      • Caring responsibilities

      We work in 101 Local Authorities across the UK, from Essex to Elgin, prioritising areas which research shows need our support the most.

      To ensure that we support the young people, schools & colleges, and areas who need our support the most, we’re guided by Government data on Indices of Multiple Deprivation and the Careers & Enterprise Company’s Cold Spot framework. Meaning that we work in:

      Find out more. 

      Nothing has the same potential to transform young lives and boost social mobility as paid internships.

      We therefore ask that each of our partner employers works with us to provide these life-changing experiences. We appreciate that this may not be suitable for all business environments, so we welcome the opportunity to discuss how else we can work together to deliver and grow our work across the UK.

      In Scotland, we ask that every partner employer works with us to provide a mentor and a paid internship within their company.

      We’ve worked with micro, small, and medium employers for nearly 20 years to deliver paid internships, mentoring, masterclasses, and workplace visits.

      With employers finding that it quickly adds value to their business, team, and culture.

      And our facilitated sessions and support mean that it’s an efficient and effective way of transforming young lives and future-proofing your business.

      Was your question answered? If not, submit a suggestion below for future FAQs.

        With thanks to our strategic partners

        • Abrdn logo
        • AstraZeneca logo
        • BlackRock Logo
        • British-Land logo
        • Bupa Foundation Logo
        • Moodys' Foundation logo
        • Morgan-Stanley logo
        • Permira Foundation Logo
        • Savills Logo
        • Science in Sport
        • Silicon-Valley-Bank logo
        • SMBC
        • Standard-Life-Aberdeen logo
        • Wells Fargo logo
        Career Ready, 25 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5LB | 020 7986 5494 | info@careerready.org.uk
        © Career Ready   | Cookies | Privacy Policy
        Registered Charity Number: 1092891 | Registered Charity Number Scotland: SC043678 | Registered Company Number: 04428178
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