“Being the first EaGLE from the Islington borough has been life changing; every aspect of being an EaGLE has been amazing! From the project management training at Ashridge, to presentation training delivered by Jason Pitt and right the way through to my first day at City of London Corporation – it has made me ‘job ready’ and has unlocked this new found confidence in my ever developing skills and experiences. Not only has it benefited me, but now I can lend a hand to others around me in the community – and make a real difference, especially to young people. I think the whole of the UK should know about the ELBA EaGLES programme!”

“Citi is proud to partner with the East London Business Alliance on the EaGLES programme, and have had an excellent experience working with talented young people from east London. Citi has benefited greatly from participating in the programme by both supporting the community in which we live and work, and also finding and supporting great local talent. We’re pleased to help ELBA as they grow the careers of these young people, and are proud to be part of this programme that provides on-going support to participants as they take the next steps in their careers.”

“The ELBA graduate programme caught my eye due to its innovative approach compared to other schemes. Not only did it offer personal development and training opportunities, but also an insight into how businesses contribute to the community. The programme was extremely well developed and managed. It was challenging, insightful and gave me practical experience of what employers look for.”

“The EaGLES programme provides a unique blend of training and experience in order to develop a balanced and rounded graduate. The training equipped me with the vital skills required during my work placement at Citi. We received training in project management at Ashridge Business School and during my first week at Citi I had to apply all that I learnt in managing a grant portfolio. At Citi I’ve had the opportunity to work on a number of projects and they have given me exactly what I asked for- a challenging yet stimulating experience. I’ve only been an EaGLE for just over ten months yet I can already feel the difference the programme has made in my professional development.”

“So why ELBA? It was the vision of being ambassadors for your community, being role models, the message that my knowledge was unique local knowledge that would help bridge gaps between the community and organisations. The comprehensive range of training provided such as the National Theatre training, Pitman’s Business English and Project Management training has helped me develop key skills and confidence to be where I am now. Even the finer aspects of office etiquettes; being on time and dressed smartly has given me the capabilities to succeed in any organisation. It is a group of people, well networked and well-resourced who are dedicated and passionate to help get local people their first steps into the world of work. It was the best decision I made after I graduated.”