Tech Futures: a pre-employability programme for young people from low-income backgrounds
by EY Foundation
EY Foundation is an independent UK charity, with the ambition to enable all young people on Free School Meals to have an employment and earnings potential that is equitable to other young people in the UK. Since 2014 we have supported over 20,000 young people who face significant barriers to employment.
Closing the gap between UK businesses and hidden talent
Through their deep understanding of both sides of the labour market, EY alongside the EY Foundation bring young people and employers together to close the gap between UK businesses and hidden talent. This is done in collaboration with employers and key partners, leveraging EY’s influence and expertise to create systemic change.
Since 2020, we’ve collaborated with employers with a focus on tech and digital careers. The programme gives young people (aged 16-17) from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to develop skills and awareness of pathways into roles within the tech space. Employers build pipelines of potential new talent, alongside supporting their ESG goals in the social mobility space.
Week 1 - Paid Employability Skills
- Delivering paid employability skills sessions e.g. Ethics of AI, Coder Dojo, Communications Skills, interview preparation and industry ‘dragons den’ challenge
- A focus on the tech and digital sector
- Preparing for professional careers in the industry
Week 2 - Paid Business Experience
- Students hosted for 3 days
- Workshops, informational sessions, shadowing opportunities and relevant tasks
- Running a business experience case
Graduation Ceremony
- On the final day, the EY Foundation will host a graduation ceremony
- Attendees from clients are invited to attend and celebrate
Post-programme Mentoring:
Each student is matched to a mentor at the start of the programme who will support them for a minimum of 6 months to provide support and guidance as they take the first steps in their career.
Post-programme Evaluation:
Following the programme, we will provide a full impact evaluation report to participating employers including stats on the skills development of young people and their perception shifts of the industry.
Why should you get involved?
Employer benefits
- Build a diverse future talent pipeline and retain young people in a competitive market
- Achieve your Social ESG goals
- Show that you are embedding sustainability across every element of your business
- Create good news stories supported by the EYF’s specialist Comms team
- Provide high quality volunteering opportunities and training for staff
- Become a sector lead in the talent development space
- Post Programme opportunity to access to our Alumni network to share career and learning opportunities
“As a young person from a deprived area, I was able to get my foot in the door to a world that would have been previously locked for me. The EY Foundation was a huge benefit to me and has helped my career more than I could have imagined.”
Katrina, Smart Futures Alumni, London
The opportunity
- Fund a cohort of 5-10 young people (£2,500 per young person)
- Host these young people on a 3 day placement during the business experience
- Mentor a young person for 6 months as part of their ongoing professional development
Want to take part in the Summer 2024 programme?
Please email Jarrod Ruth by Friday 29th March to support your business objectives around talent, social mobility and DEI.