As Ofsed recognises, effective careers provision and meaningful contact with employers is essential in ensuring positive future destinations for young people.
We offer an important additional resource to help you hit those Gatsby benchmarks.
We deliver tailored and targeted programmes to support young people who face disadvantage and require additional support to thrive.
We deliver intensive programmes offering valuable interventions for targeted pupils – see below.
We can also organise a YouthConnect networking event or an employer visit for your school
If you are interested in working with us please do get in touch – abigail@werise.org.uk
Access All Areas
Funded by the Walcot Foundation and delivered in partnership with two local schools Access All Areas is an intensive three year programme of bespoke progression coaching, inspirational careers education, practical work experience and transition support to raise achievement and motivation of 20 disadvantaged at risk black boys (aged 13-16).
Transitions
Funded by a small Lambeth Community Foundation grant, this pilot programme supports 20 16/17 years olds who have left Evelyn Grace Academy in central Brixton to go to FE college but are vulnerable to dropping out. It helps them sustain positive destinations by providing 12 months individual mentoring and peer group support.
Futures
Funded by Lambeth Council this one-year pilot programme was tailored to the needs of 60 at risk year 9/10 students in two Lambeth schools. Students increased in confidence, explored and reconstructed their sense of self and accessed careers information and advice through 1:1 coaching, workshops and 105 meaningful encounters with employers .
“The mix of visits, coaching and workshops, including students preparing a ‘Story of Me’ for presenting to others, enabled students to enhance their employability skills and increased their understanding of the labour market across a range of sectors.” Independent evaluation
What difference do we want to make?
A young person who has four or more meaningful encounters with an employer is 86% less likely to be unemployed or not in education or training and can earn up to 22% more during their career. Employers and Education Taskforce
Our mission is to tackle disadvantage, raise aspiration, generate confidence and enterprise and enable young people to access well paid employment. We undertake activities which deliver on four key aims:
- Equipping young people with the personal and employment skills they will need for a successful future
- Introducing and supporting young people to make professional connections
- Exposing young people to modern workplaces and hands on experience of professional practice
- Achieving positive education, training and employment outcomes.
We measure a range of outcomes across our activities, particularly improvements in:
- Confidence and self awareness
- Resilience and creativity
- Communication and social skills
- Team-work, organisation and problem solving skills
- Experience of workplaces and contacts with professionals and employers
- Ability to make positive life decisions
- Access to future study options and employment opportunities
- Social capital and potential to secure meaningful employment.
We monitor and collect feedback from all of our activities using a range of mechanisms, including verbal feedback, written comments, on-line forms, peer feedback, self evaluation, video testimonials, coaching notes and observation. We are developing and improving the tools we use to measure our impact.
What impact have we made so far?
So far we’ve delivered
- 536 hours of activity, including 1-1 coaching, skills workshops, networking events, employer visits + team based work experience
- 12 week long project based work experience projects
- An intensive 10 month Futures careers inspiration programme to sixty young people at risk of NEET
- Five monthly YouthConnect networking events where young people meet professionals, learn networking skills and explore different careers
- Three Masterclasses where young people gain professional skills and knowledge
- Two Mentor Training Sessions to enable twenty two local professional volunteers to support young people
We’ve worked with
- 481 young people, 91% from black and minority ethnic backgrounds
- 155 volunteers, employers and professionals
- Four schools
- 32 companies, with 16 workplaces visited.
We’ve had incredibly positive feedback from the young people we work with.
“It was just so good..It really inspires you to visualise your future..It’s an amazing experience” Ely
“It was such a great and enriching experience. I got to grow in myself as well as develop new skills such as being able to speak more confidently in public and effectively communicate my ideas to people I’ve never met before.” Laniyah
“We Rise has benefited me to have more self confidence and belief in myself because it builds the motivation and determination and confidence that you have as an individual.” Sapphire
100% of young people taking part in our work experience projects report improvement in one or more employability skills, especially confidence, team-work communication and presentation skills, working with clients, organisation, resilience and self-awareness.
92% of young people would recommend We Rise to a friend.
We’re really keen to work with more schools. Please do get in touch – abigail@werise.org.uk