The Career Ready 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.

Our programme

A transformational programme for career success

Our programme is mapped to specific learning outcomes, enabling young people to develop the skills, confidence, and experience needed to kickstart their future. On completing our programme, students continue to connect with our partners gain further experiences and support via our Alumni Network.

As a social mobility charity, we support young people who potentially face barriers in education and employment and whose talents often go undiscovered.

Our programme structure:

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.

Ryan Thorne, Career Ready Alumnus

I went through a very bumpy time but my mentors, Danielle and Lara, helped me see my full potential. The journey that I’ve been on has been magical.

Angel, Career Ready Alumnus

A transformational programme for career success

As a social mobility charity, we support young people who potentially face barriers in education and employment and whose talents often go undiscovered.

Students launch event while in Y12 or S5 (or FE College equivalent) and meet their mentor.

12x monthly (1-hour) mentor meetings at mentor’s workplace or school/college.

A 4 week paid summer internship between June – August.

6 masterclasses delivered by volunteers at key points in the programme and get a behind the scenes look at the world of work.

Programme Launch

Mentoring

Paid Internships

Masterclasses

Workplace Visits

Alumni Network

Students launch event while in Y12 or S5 (or FE College equivalent) and meet their mentor.

12x monthly (1-hour) mentor meetings at mentor’s workplace or school/college.

A 4 week paid summer internship between June – August.

6 masterclasses delivered by volunteers at key points in the programme.

A behind the scenes look at the world of work.

Sustained support for our young people through our alumni network.

Career Ready in Scotland

Our programme

The Career Ready programme empowers young people by connecting them with the world of work, providing workplace experiences, career insights, and a network of support.

Our programme relies on a network of employers, volunteers and schools/colleges to help young people.

Find out more about the programme and how you can get involved.

our programme

Young people join the programme in January of their Y12 studies

They are connected with a mentor and attend a variety of workshops

Complete a 6 week paid summer internship between Y12 and Y13

Graduate the programme and join our alumni network in their final year

Our skills framework

Skills for Career Success

We measure the impact of our programmes using a set of outcomes designed in partnership with employers and educators, mapped to the level and intensity of each programme.

Students assess their Skills for Career Success at key points, which they reflect upon with their mentors in monthly meetings.

Enhanced Skills

Career Ready is a fantastic programme for our young people. The impact on our students is extremely positive and long-lasting. Our Year 12 students are able to gain vital employability skills and it equips them with the confidence to apply for a range of destinations, from the most competitive apprenticeship opportunities to university courses. It is such a valuable part of our careers provision.

Clare Lucas, Assistant Principal and Careers Leader, Elliott Hudson College, Leeds

Adaptability

I react positively to changes and can use challenges as a way to grow.

I do this by:

Identifying opportunities to improve my skills
Taking the initiative
Being open minded and understanding different jobs will exist in the future.

Communication and networking

I can introduce myself to new people and can speak about myself confidently.

I do this by:

Listening effectively
Asking relevant questions
Being able to confidently introduce myself to new people and speak about myself

Creativity

I have the skills to think about things in a new way. I can use my imagination to think of different ideas.

I do this by:

Understanding creativity is about ideas and how we develop them
Using my imagination to think of new ideas
Thinking of ways to improve something and explaining why

Managing my career

I understand what I need to do to get into different types of career.

I do this by:

Understanding jobs and how suited I am to any opportunity
Preparing for interviews
Maintaining an up to date personal development record

Managing myself

I have the skills to organise my own time well and can set goals for myself.

I do this by:

Planning, organising and thinking about my priorities
Taking responsibility for my actions and decisions
Using positive and negative feedback to help me develop

Problem-solving

I have the skills, knowledge and experience to make a plan when problems happen.

I do this by:

Reviewing relevant information
Thinking about how my actions affect situations
Talking with relevant people or groups

Team work

I can work well with other people.

I do this by:

Building relationships
Being supportive to others
Respecting other people’s opinions, ideas, skills and values

Skills for Career Success

We measure the impact of our programmes using a set of outcomes designed in partnership with employers and educators, mapped to the level and intensity of each programme.

Students assess their Skills for Career Success at key points, which they reflect upon with their mentors in monthly meetings.

Enhanced Skills

Clare Lucas, Assistant Principal and Careers Leader, Elliott Hudson College, Leeds

Adaptability

I react positively to changes and can use challenges as a way to grow.

I do this by:

Identifying opportunities to improve my skills
Taking the initiative
Being open minded and understanding different jobs will exist in the future.

Communication and networking

I can introduce myself to new people and can speak about myself confidently.

I do this by:

Listening effectively
Asking relevant questions
Being able to confidently introduce myself to new people and speak about myself

Creativity

I have the skills to think about things in a new way. I can use my imagination to think of different ideas.

I do this by:

Understanding creativity is about ideas and how we develop them
Using my imagination to think of new ideas
Thinking of ways to improve something and explaining why

Managing my career

I understand what I need to do to get into different types of career.

I do this by:

Understanding jobs and how suited I am to any opportunity
Preparing for interviews
Maintaining an up to date personal development record

Managing myself

I have the skills to organise my own time well and can set goals for myself.

I do this by:

Planning, organising and thinking about my priorities
Taking responsibility for my actions and decisions
Using positive and negative feedback to help me develop

Problem-solving

I have the skills, knowledge and experience to make a plan when problems happen.

I do this by:

Reviewing relevant information
Thinking about how my actions affect situations
Talking with relevant people or groups

Team work

I can work well with other people.

I do this by:

Building relationships
Being supportive to others
Respecting other people’s opinions, ideas, skills and values

Our network

Employers

Our growing employer network ensures that young people are able to develop the workplace experiences, support, and skills they need to prepare for the world of work.

The range of employers, across different sectors and sizes, provide an amazing network within which lie the opportunities for students to explore.

Volunteers

Our volunteers make a transformational difference to a young person’s future.

From mentoring, to skills masterclasses and workplace visits, we have a variety of ways you can volunteer to support young talent.

Get involved

Alumni

Our students journey to becoming Career Ready doesn’t stop when you graduate, so neither does our support.

After the graduating the Career Ready programme, students have the opportunity join our UK-wide alumni network of over 1,000 fellow alumni, employers, and volunteers.

Schools

We work closely with every school and college to manage our programme and deliver life-changing outcomes for learners.

Together, we support students with awareness-raising, application and participation, through to progressing into a positive next step on their chosen career and education path.

find out more

GET IN TOUCH

Employers

Our growing employer network ensures that young people are able to develop the workplace experiences, support, and skills they need to prepare for the world of work.

The range of employers, across different sectors and sizes, provide an amazing network within which lie the opportunities for students to explore.

Get involved

Volunteers

Our volunteers make a transformational difference to a young person’s future.

From mentoring, to skills masterclasses and workplace visits, we have a variety of ways you can volunteer to support young talent.

Alumni

Our students journey to becoming Career Ready doesn’t stop when you graduate, so neither does our support.

After the graduating the Career Ready programme, students have the opportunity join our UK-wide alumni network of over 2,000 fellow alumni, employers, and volunteers.

find out more

Schools

We work closely with every school and college to manage our programme and deliver life-changing outcomes for learners.

Together, we support students with awareness-raising, application and participation, through to progressing into a positive next step on their chosen career and education path.

Our impact

Behind the statistics, students’ experiences are truly transformational.

The personal development gained through the support of a mentor and real experience of the world of work can be life-changing.

Behind the statistics, students’ experiences are truly transformational.

The personal development gained through the support of a mentor and real experience of the world of work can be life-changing.

98% have gone onto higher education, work, or apprenticeships.
95% develop skills that will be useful in their future career.
89% said their self confidence grew.
87% are more informed about career options available to them.

Our impact

have gone onto higher education, work, or apprenticeships.

of students rated their skills a strength by the end of the programme, up from 60%

of students felt able to make career decisions which were right for them by the end of the programme, up from 73%

Our impact

Victoria Ayodeji

Victoria Ayoedji graduated the Career Ready programme in 2017 and went on to study at the University of Cambridge.

Victoria says her time on the programme was so important to her confidence, experience and professional development and she now works to support people from diverse backgrounds to overcome barriers to education and employment.

Hear from Victoria
Madalyn Mathews

Madalyn Mathews graduated the Career Ready programme in 2016 from Franklin College in North East Lincolnshire. She completed an internship in the supply chain department for one of the local area’s biggest employers.

Now a Digital Marketing Assistant, Madalyn has returned to Career Ready as a volunteer and successfully mentored for three years.

Hear from Madalyn
Brandon Herbert

Brandon Herbert, from Knightswood Secondary School in Glasgow, is one of our 2022 Students of the Year. He enjoyed a four-week paid internship at NatWest and the support from his mentor Gill gave him the skills and confidence to kickstart a rewarding future.

"To someone thinking of joining the Career Ready programme I would say – do it, as simple as that. It’s an amazing experience. You build skills, relationships, and a sense of what the working world is like."

Hear from Brandon
Cookstown High School

Cookstown High School in Northern Ireland have completed their first year on the Career Ready programme. Hear from Conor Wilson, Head of Careers, on their experience working with us and the impact they’ve seen on their students so far.

Find out more

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

have gone onto higher education, work, or apprenticeships.

develop skills that will be useful in their future career

said their self confidence grew

are more informed about career options available to them

Our impact

Victoria Ayodeji

Victoria Ayoedji from The Petchey Academy, London, graduated the Career Ready programme in 2017. Victoria says her time on the programme was so important to her confidence, experience and professional development.

Hear from Victoria
Madalyn Mathews

Madalyn Mathews graduated the Career Ready programme in 2016 from Franklin College in North East Lincolnshire. She completed an internship in the supply chain department for one of the local area’s biggest employers.

Hear from Madalyn
Brandon Herbert

Brandon Herbert, from Knightswood Secondary School, is one of our 2022 Students of the Year. He enjoyed a paid internship at NatWest and the support from his mentor gave him the skills and confidence to kickstart a rewarding future.

Hear from Brandon