Name: Wiseup
Price range: $

We're proud to shape the lives of young people around the UK

We connect students 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 16-21 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.

Our background

With mentoring expertise from 6+ years running our own professional coaching and mentoring platform, our core mission is to support an underrepresented yet crucial segment of the UK population: 16-18 year olds at a key time in their lives and early careers.

We believe that there is endless talent in our UK school system, yet opportunities are frequently skewed towards prestigious schools and students with existing networks. Whilst there are no barriers to entry to our programmes, we typically work with schools with higher instances of students on free school meals.

Through learning and development opportunities like the Pathfinder Programme, young people can take leaps forward in life by harnessing new experiences, skills and connections.

Join the cultural capital revolution today!

Shifting paradigms

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.

How we got here: from digital startup to social enterprise

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.

Feeling inspired to further help the next generation, we launched The Pathfinder Programme, with the vision to change the way young people gain insight and access to the world of work through life-changing mentoring and work experience initiatives for individuals who feel they lack the connections to kickstart their careers in industries they are passionate about.

What we do

Our values

Our programmes are designed to demystify the world of work through first hand experience and advice from a mentor. We ultimately want to equip young people with their very first professional network.

Our approach

We upskill employees of partner companies to become effective mentors for the next generation. We then facilitate mentoring programmes for students, including work experience opportunities within our partner companies.

Our partners

Our programmes are for any organisation interested in offering their staff the opportunity to shape a young person's life, whilst developing crucial mentoring skills required for effective leadership in their roles.

Meet the team

Joe Wood - Co-Founder

I am of the firm belief that undergoing real-world experiences in the workplace is a crucial step in a student’s early career. The fact that many students are denied opportunities because of having a limited network was one of the drivers for launching our Pathfinder Programme, which aims to embolden students from all walks of life through mentoring and work placement schemes.

Graham Wood - Co-Founder

It's been a pleasure building Wiseup with my son, Joe. We’re a family-run company that has carved a niche in the mentoring world thanks to years of running a coaching/mentoring platform. Having this deep understanding of mentoring has been integral to forming The Pathfinder Programme, which we’re proud to say is changing how students enter the world of work.

Tom Lewis - Operations Lead

I ensure things run smoothly from start to finish, and that all parties get the most out of the unique experience that is The Pathfinder Programme - which is all about giving businesses the opportunity to shape a young person's life. Having developed relationships with lots of colleges, we have a fantastic array of talented students at our fingertips ready to discover the workplace.

Maddie McArdle - Marketing Manager

Wiseup is committed to creating a measurable social impact and it’s rewarding to be a part of a company that offers life-changing opportunities for people who feel they may not have otherwise had the connections. Because of this, I love creating new content and sharing Wiseup’s story, so that more people can get involved in this great initiative.