Founders4Schools
Preparing young people for the future
“The journey from school to the world of work or higher education can be exciting as well as challenging,” says Soma, Kusuma Trust’s Executive Trustee. “It’s why we were delighted to partner with Founders4Schools to present young people with a range of information about the rapidly evolving work and education opportunities.”
In May 2021, we awarded £18,800 to Founders4Schools to fund an online ‘Careers Jam’ targeting 16 to 24 year olds across the UK. The audience included school and college students, graduates and young people looking for jobs, training opportunities or careers guidance.
- Founders4Schools is an award-winning charity that connects educators with a network of inspirational business leaders, to improve the employment chances of young people.
- 82% of students believe Founders4Schools events help them understand the pathway to a career.
- Students who experience 4 or more encounters with employers are 86% less likely to become NEET (not in education, employment or training).
Industry insights and opportunities
With our support, Founders4Schools were able to host the event on a specialist digital platform for careers fairs. It meant participants could visit interactive booths and talk to leading employers, gain industry insights from an exciting agenda of panel discussions, and join employability skills workshops. Our grant also funded pre-event marketing to attract a diverse audience, and enabled 12 selected colleges and universities to exhibit for free, making sure the event showcased the widest range of further and higher education opportunities. There were 28 exhibitors and 11 live workshops and panel discussions with involvement form Google, Snapchat, and Virgin Media.
Due to the overwhelming success of this first Careers Jam in 2021, Founders4Schools decided to host a second event in June 2022. We awarded a grant of £25,000 to support this event, which included 13 workshops and panel discussions. There were close to 6,000 pre-event and on the day registrations, and 56 job applications made.
“We were delighted to play a part in both Careers Jams and hope that they have helped young people be inspired to find their dream careers and a fulfilling life ahead,” says Soma.
“Founders4Schools is committed to the ever changing needs of young people to support meaningful and fulfilling employment for all young people as they transition from education to the workplace. The response from attendees at the inaugural Careers Jam in June 2021 was so incredibly overwhelming, it highlighted the need for more events like this which are inclusive, informative, self-driven and impactful. As such, we hope to make Careers Jam an annual ‘must-attend’ for all young people aged 16-24 to empower them in their choices and ensure all young people are given the confidence and guidance to pursue their career aspirations.”
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Kusuma Trust Excellence Prize
