Mentoring programme teaches students essential softer skills to succeed in life
Vital skills required to build a life as a successful adult are not always passed on to young people, according to Rosie Nicholas, Partnerships Manager at youth social mobility charity, Envision. “Creative thinking, grit, determination, communication skills and teamwork are not really taught in schools right now,” she told guests at the Stonehage Fleming Next Generation course in London last month.
Envision aims to develop young people’s employability through social action. Stonehage Fleming has been a partner of the charity since 2017. More than 20 staff members in London have volunteered on Envision’s programme, working with young people from local academies and comprehensive schools and helping them to equip themselves with some of the softer skills required for a successful working life.
“We work with young people who need extra support – some children in the program are eligible for free school meals or Pupil Premium” said Rosie, outlining the government indicators for identifying the children most disadvantaged by income or by family upheaval.
Rather than leaving the conversation there, Envision’s two programmes encourage young people to engage with their own neighbourhoods. “We get young people passionate and excited about issues facing their local area. They get complete autonomy over what cause they choose and then we help facilitate their ideas to run projects which either raise money for charities working to benefit their communities or help young people come up with ways to make their own impact” said Rosie. This includes collaborating with charities engaged with combatting knife crime, tackling homelessness or providing support for young carers.
On the Key Stage 4 programme, young people are tasked with raising awareness in their schools, communicating with confidence to their peers to further their chosen cause and coming back into the offices of partner businesses for regular advice from their mentors. They then set about raising money for their chosen charities and, finally, compete against other schools to pitch their ideas to a panel of business leaders.
It is important to Stonehage Fleming to demonstrate our social capital as a business and engage with projects that promote positive outcomes for society. “As a charity, we believe that the opportunities young people get really depend on where they are born. And those who are in a less fortunate position often get less chance to have those opportunities through formal education,” said Rosie. “Stonehage Fleming is an ideal partner for Envision – they want to work with young people in their community to help everybody rise up and level the playing field, providing their mentees with a greater chance of success in life.”