We connect students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with employers, allowing the next generation to establish their first professional network, gain an advantage in their careers and make informed decisions on their future. To achieve this, we train employees in partner companies to become effective mentors for students at this key point in their lives.
We partner with businesses to upskill their employees to become mentors for 16-18 year old students, preparing them to deliver 1-2-1 mentoring sessions in the lead up to life-changing work experience opportunities at the partner companies themselves.
The Pathfinder Programme helps students who feel disconnected from the world of work gain invaluable insight, whilst forming lasting professional networks. Students from all backgrounds thus feel inspired to make informed decisions about their future careers, regardless of network or circumstances.
The value of mentoring & work experience for young people is globally understood, but access to such opportunities can often come down to the connections an individual has. We believe, however, that the phrase "it's not what you know, it's who you know" is a principle of networking that leaves people behind. This led us to create The Pathfinder Programme.
We have been running our own professional mentoring platform since 2019, and built a community of 200+ Wiseup Mentors. Along the way, we have learnt what truly impactful mentoring looks like. We have delivered many mentoring programmes for young people, supporting our partners as The Manchester College and initiatives such as The Kickstart Scheme.
