A year of impact: ELBA’s education team delivers for east London students
A Year of Impact: ELBA’s Education team delivers for east London students
With the summer break just round the corner, ELBA’s Education team reflects on some of the key highlights this year.
From September 2024, we have supported over 2500 beneficiaries through 90 activities! From Career Insight Visits to bespoke mentoring, we would like to thank all of our partners and volunteers for their hard work educating and inspiring young east London residents.
Mentoring Works
Since 1996, Mentoring Works has empowered thousands of young people from disadvantaged areas. Our five-month programme (Dec 2024 – July 2025) matches students to corporate mentors. Fostering independence, mentors guide students in setting individual goals within our Skills Builder framework, aiming to introduce them to the world of work, raise aspirations, identify career paths, and boost employability.
A few statistics from 2024 – 2025 academic year across east London and Islington programme delivery:
- Schools, sixth forms & colleges involved: 25
- Students/Mentees: 263
- Mentors: 231
- Companies involved: 10
Red Lion Chambers Mentoring Programme and Mock Trial
We are pleased to conclude another great year of our partnership with Red Lion Chambers by supporting the Mentoring Scheme for aspiring barristers.10 students received mentoring from 10 volunteer barristers at Red Lion Chambers. Mentors prepared the students for their participation in the Mock Trial at The Old Bailey, which concluded the end of the mentoring programme on the 8th July.
“One of the most unforgettable experiences was participating in the mock trial at the Old Bailey. Stepping into that historic courtroom and applying everything we had learned in a real-world setting was truly surreal. It brought the entire experience to life and gave me a deeper appreciation for the practice of law, advocacy and the responsibility that comes with standing in that courtroom. It was a privilege I will never forget.”
UBS and The Bridge Academy Employability Day
As part of The Bridge Academy’s Progression Programme, UBS and ELBA facilitated two Employability Day events for Year 8 and Year 12 students for another successful year. Year 8 students had an opportunity to speed-network with volunteers from all areas of UBS, before putting into practice their teamwork skills by creating a fully sustainable office environment. The day culminated in all 175 students sharing their innovative ideas in the public speaking task.
“It was a great day full of productivity, where they were able to share their creative ideas and plan a business which could help them in the near future.”
– Teacher at The Bridge Academy
170 UBS volunteers supported Year 12 students in a jam-packed day of activities, rotating between each workshop carousel style. For the students, this highly interactive day helped to motivate them to think about their plans for the future.
Young Influencers Programme
Now in its fourth year, the Young Influencers Programme, Societe Generale’s flagship CSR initiative, is aimed at increasing the employability of young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Over 10 months, students participated in a series of interactive workshops to develop the key skills needed for successful careers. Students explored how corporate and investment banking works and learned about careers in the sector with SG volunteers. The programme significantly enhanced not only students’ skills but also their awareness of financial services. Knowledge of the sector and the roles available increased by 47% across the cohort, and understanding of the skills needed in these roles went up by 41%.
Thank you to all the students, teachers, volunteers and companies making this work possible. If you are a volunteer interested in supporting young people, please get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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