Founders4Schools was created out of the Silicon Valley comes to the UK initiative in 2011 and became an independent UK charity in 2015. As an EdTech organisation, Founders4Schools is dedicated to improving the life chances of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds by connecting them to business leaders. Educators who subscribe to our services can choose from 12 encounter types, and our personalised guidance builds upon research commissioned by our Partners including the Royal Society, Careers & Enterprise Company and Education Endowment Foundation. These activities increase youth employability, improve social mobility and help close the skills-gap. Student-employer encounters inspire young people by helping them understand what skills are needed to improve their employability and are particularly important for the more marginalised young people who lack access to professional role models in their immediate environment.
Educators who use our services receive personalised advice that enables them to help their students receive four student-employers per annum while they are between the ages of 8 and 18. The recommendations are based on the latest research in careers and enterprise as well as the local labour market information. Founders4Schools wants to make sure that educators are creating encounters that will have the highest impact for young people.
Business Leaders who volunteer to connect with young people receive briefings prior to their careers encounters, including advice on a format for high impact and examples of best practice. Business Leaders regularly feedback how fulfilling it is speaking with young people about the world of work and report that the experience of doing so is developmental for them both in terms of understanding the young workforce and their own soft skills and communication skills.
Partners, like DYW Regional Groups, Local Authorities, companies, and third sector organisations use our services to receive our ground-breaking insight reports so they are aware of the extent to which student-employer encounters are taking place in their jurisdiction, relative to others, so they can judge how to bring about the employability encounters they know are so important for economic growth and prosperity.