Expanding access to careers education

Kennedys partners with Future Frontiers to deliver structured careers education for secondary school students in Greater London. This partnership sits within our wider community volunteering strategy, which focuses on working with a number of delivery partners to support, 2,0000 individuals by 2030, and expand access to opportunity through high-impact outreach programmes.

Careers education sits at the centre of long-term opportunity. Research from Education and Employers shows that young people having four or more meaningful employer encounters at school are 86% (or roughly four times) less likely to become NEET (not in education, employment, or training) and can expect higher earnings. These interactions, such as mentoring, careers talks or work experience, help bridge the gap between education and work.

Yet many students still lack access to professional role models, workplace insight, and personalised guidance.

To address this, Kennedys works with a number of strategic delivery partners to focus effort where it creates lasting value. These partnerships support under-resourced young people at key transition points and help ensure access to careers education does not depend on background or personal networks.

Future Frontiers is one of our key partners. Since 2022, we have supported over 40 students to explore career options, understand post-16 pathways, and build the confidence needed to take next steps, regardless of where they grew up, and which school they attend.

Future Frontiers Programme 2025

• 71% of students felt more motivated to work hard at school
• 100% identified an inspirational career with support from their coach
• 100% gained clarity on what they need to do to achieve their ambitions
• 87 hours of one-to-one coaching delivered
• 15 students were supported by 14 fully trained volunteer coaches

Creating time for career conversations

Before working with students, all Kennedys volunteers completed formal Future Frontiers coach training, ensuring they were equipped with the tools, structure, and safeguarding awareness needed to deliver high-quality one-to-one mentoring support.

During the programme, volunteers supported Year 10 students from a South London secondary school through a structured four-week coaching model.

Each student was matched with a trained volunteer coach and took part in four 90-minute sessions focused on:

• Exploring career interests, aligned with strengths and passions
• Building confidence in professional conversations
• Understanding qualification routes and post-16 pathways
• Identifying clear and informed next steps
• Engaging directly with sector role models from their chosen career aspiration

Sessions were delivered in a professional office environment, giving students direct exposure to workplace settings and helping normalise career-focused conversations.

Hearing directly from students

“Thank you for giving me more options and helping me to decide how to move forward with my future career choice.” - Amaya-Rose, Future Interior Designer

The programme also creates opportunities for joint delivery with clients, including Aviva - strengthening collaboration through shared careers education activity.

Why join the programme?

Victoria, a Senior Claims Manager (pictured below), joined the programme after attending an information session and recognising that many students do not receive the same level of guidance, encouragement, or professional exposure as others. Aware that access to support at home had shaped her own educational journey, she wanted to pay it forward by extending those opportunities to more young people and supporting them to recognise their own strengths.

Across the four-week programme, Victoria worked one-to-one with her student to explore interests and abilities that were not immediately obvious to the student at the start of the programme.

She helped the student:

• Recognise skills developed through everyday responsibilities
• Link lived experience to employability skills
• Practise communication and exploration of hidden ‘soft’ skills
• Prepare for professional conversations and post-16 choices

Victoria also supported the student ahead of the sector role model session, helping build confidence to ask questions and engage fully with the unique opportunity.

By the end of the programme, Victoria observed an increase in confidence and engagement. The student became more comfortable discussing her strengths and future goals and actively participated in the role model session, applying the communication skills developed throughout the programme.

“As I got to know my student, we discovered together hidden abilities and skills developed through everyday challenges. Seeing her recognise her own potential was one of the most rewarding parts of the programme. Working alongside Kennedys on this partnership also showed how powerful joint action between businesses can be when it comes to careers education.”

If you want to support students, build coaching skills, and contribute to careers education activity, you can find out more here.

This initiative forms part of Thrive Together, Kennedys’ global volunteering and pro bono programme, which supports the firm’s aim to expand volunteering and pro bono activity and reach more people in communities by 2030.