The EY Foundation works with a range of employers to provide young people facing barriers to entering the workplace with the professional employability skills, support, business experience, network and opportunities to succeed.
Half of adults from the poorest backgrounds receive no training at all after leaving school and 600,000 more children are now living in relative poverty, compared to 2012 – projected to increase as a result of COVID-19. At the EY Foundation, we seek to break down barriers to the workplace for young people through provision of key employability skills and experience.
Since 2014, we have worked with almost 900 employers from the private, public and charity sectors, supported over 13,600 young people, 500 social enterprises, over 13,300 volunteers and 1,200 employers including Legal & General, Cabinet Office, and Linklaters. In partnership with supportive employers, we inspire and help young people towards their future careers.
Why should employers work with us?
- Diversify & future-proof your talent pipeline
- Provide your staff with quality volunteering opportunities, with CPD (Continual Personal Development) credits attached
- Support local labour markets and communities
- Network with like-minded employers through focus groups and EYF events
- Help meet social mobility compact requirements
If you share our belief that young people and social entrepreneurs shouldn’t have to get lucky when it comes to accessing good opportunities, then we’d love you to get involved!
How you can help
NEW Funded Employability programme for entry level roles
Your Future is an employability programme this summer, which is recruiting young people at the end of their school career who do not want to go into higher education, and have no job lined up yet. The young people will be on Free School Meals. This is an employability programme helps young people be more socially mobile, and consequently, can help employers with their ESG goals.
Useful dates for the programme in London are: 26th June – 7th July 2023. Employers would need to offer work experience w/c 11th July
Contact kate.thomas@eyfoundation.ey.com if you are interested and want to set up an initial chat
At the EY Foundation, we help employers to participate in the most accessible format to them. Whatever you choose, EY Foundation will support you throughout the process, from delivering ILM-accredited workshops to briefing mentors and volunteers.
Fund a bespoke employability programme
Do what feels right for your organisation! There are a range of ways to engage with young people from joint provision of careers workshops for KS3 students to funding and/or hosting employability insight and experiences at your organisation for ambitious young people keen to learn more about their career options before they decide on a post-school pathway (16 to 17). You can even adapt the programme through potential direct into work opportunities (17 to 18).
Support a cohort on one of our existing multi-employer programmes (e.g. tech/digital skills)
Collaborate with other employers to fund and/or host impassioned young people to learn the skills necessary for the working world before embarking on an exciting business experience in one of the participating employer firms.
Volunteer on one of our programmes
Your skills are invaluable to us. Whether you want to be a 1-to-1 mentor, provide CV or interview guidance, inspire young people through speaking about your industry or act as a judge for a Dragons’ Den style business challenge, we would love for you to join us and can support you in this role. Note that volunteering opportunities are also available to those funding or hosting a programme.
Make a personal donation
Make a personal donation to the foundation and get involved with a range of volunteering opportunities by acting as a judge in our business challenges or as a mentor for a young person for 10-12 months.
Introduce us to someone else
If you know someone who is looking to support a charity, or if you work for a company who supports charities, please make an introduction email to Kate Thomas [Kate.Thomas@eyfoundation.ey.com].
Your business can make a big impact on young people across the UK who face barriers to employment. Please join us today.
If you are interested in more details, please have a look at our website or contact Kate Thomas [Kate.Thomas@eyfoundation.ey.com].