London Intern 24 Launch Day In A Snapshot
Last week, Wiseup joined Kantar, IBM, Efficio, Hays, Blackbullion and Chain IQ at Kantar’s offices for the launch of London Intern 24 – a programme that combines mentoring and work experience. This special event involved 40 students from several London schools, as they gathered to meet their mentors for the first time. The students then took part in their first of four mentoring sessions, ahead of what will be a life-changing work placement opportunity taking place in May.
The programme
The aim of London Intern 24 is to offer 16-18 year olds unparalleled exposure to the world of work, whilst dismantling any social barriers in place for the students. The programme will see mentors and mentees come together for four mentoring sessions, wrapped around a week’s work placement at either Kantar, IBM, Hays, Efficio, Chain IQ or Blackbullion’s offices. Intern 24 is a concerted effort to help these talented young people make connections, gain new skills and increase confidence in real-world office environments. Wiseup Networks is proud to be facilitating the mentoring aspect of the programme.
The launch day
On the 22nd March, 40 talented students from South Bank University Academy, Sedgehill Academy and St John’s Baptist School made their way to Kantar’s office for the launch event. The purpose of the event was to give the students the opportunity to meet with their mentors for the first time before the initial mentoring session.
Programme Leads from Kantar – Steve Day and Esme Kilsby kicked off the day’s events by outlining the exciting opportunity ahead. The students were then able to speak with their mentor’s company in more depth, before finally getting to meet their mentors, who had been meticulously matched by Wiseup based on interests and areas of study.
The introductions set the stage for the 1-2-1 mentoring sessions, which took place in pockets around a large open-plan area of Kantar’s office. The students buzzed with excitement as they chatted away with their mentors in the dynamic environment.
In light of a successful first session, we’ve already received wonderful feedback from one of the schools. Izabela, hailing from Sedgehill Academy expressed gratitude for the event's success, stating that “ALL students shared excellent feedback and are genuinely excited about the opportunities laid in front of them.” Such feedback underscores the significance of initiatives like London Intern 24, especially in times when the future can appear fraught with uncertainty for many.
One mentor from the programme – Scott Dance commented: “On Friday we launched the Intern 24 Programme with 4 other companies in partnership with Kantar and Wise Up Networks. The launch day gave us the chance to give an overview of what to expect during the week as well kicking off our first 1-2-1 mentoring sessions. The students were very engaged and had plenty of questions about our company and us as individuals as we spent time getting to know them and their thoughts on what a future career may look like. We are really looking forward to hosting the students in May and help them in guiding their careers as they have a very bright future ahead of them.”
The mentee outcomes from previous years show just how important these programmes are, with a transformation in confidence being a major outcome. This year’s cohort has already provided survey answers for their initial benchmark levels across a whole host of areas. Upon the completion of Intern 24 in July, we’ll have a thorough breakdown of the impact of this year’s programme.
Wiseup is thrilled to be a part of this ever-growing initiative that is much needed and will continue to transform the lives of all involved.
