London Intern 25: Work Experience Week Marks a Milestone for Students and Mentors Alike
After months of preparation and anticipation, we’re proud to share that the London Intern 25 work experience week has officially concluded – and what an incredible week it’s been!
Kantar's London Intern programme originally started out in 2022 with 5 students attending Kantar's offices for work experience. In 2023, Wiseup had the pleasure of joining forces with Kantar on Intern 23, to facilitate mentoring sessions, along with additional businesses - Efficio, IBM and Hays.
For Intern 24, two more fantastic businesses joined the Intern programme - Blackbullion and Chain IQ. Now in the third year of our support, the London Intern 25 programme has gone from strength to strength with a total of 8 companies now involved with the addition of Kyndryl and Birlisoft. With over 50 students aged 16–17 taking part this year, the programme has continued to offer life-changing mentoring and work experience opportunities, thanks to the ongoing collaboration with Kantar, alongside mentors from IBM, Efficio, Hays, Chain IQ, Blackbullion, Kyndryl and Birlasoft.
Following the official programme launch on 14th March at Kantar’s offices, in which the mentoring pairs met and underwent their first sessions, the mentees have since been working on research projects to support their learning on the programme.
The research projects allowed the students to take a deep dive into their mentor’s company ahead of the work placement in order to maximise their understanding of the business before attending the office.
A week of discovery
The London Intern 25 work experience week kicked off with a buzz on Monday 19th of May. Having already completed their research tasks, the students entered the offices with ease, having a greater understanding of what to expect in advance.
The students’ agendas for the week were set to maximise their time at each office, with a thorough exploration of a range of departments being a key element of the experience. At 16-17 years of age, many students do not have a definite idea of their next steps in their career, so gaining a diverse experience of different roles and departments can be life changing.
Across each mentor’s company, students were immersed in tailored experiences designed to help them explore potential career paths and grow both personally and professionally.
From shadowing professionals and taking part in day-in-the-life activities, to engaging in LinkedIn and CV-building workshops, the week was packed with insight and development. Students also participated in two face-to-face mentoring sessions during the week – one at the start to help them make the most of their placement, and one towards the end to reflect on their progress and outcomes.
Each participating company went above and beyond. Whether through talks hosted across partner organisations or hands-on project work, the students gained exposure to a diverse range of industries including IT, consulting, media, and recruitment.
The week culminated with a celebratory Friday afternoon back at Kantar’s offices. With food, drinks and plenty of positive energy, the cohort came together to share highlights, thank their mentors, and reflect on all they had achieved.
Looking ahead
With the work placements now complete, the students will reconvene for their final mentoring sessions in September. These last sessions will serve as an opportunity to reflect, consolidate their learnings, and look towards their future – whether that’s university, apprenticeships or stepping directly into the workplace.
Feedback from the students and schools so far has been overwhelmingly positive. James O'Riordan – Careers and University Lead at Harris Academy Westminster shared:
“As a teacher working in a school in London that has a mission to help push some of the brightest disadvantaged students in London into top professional and academic institutions, I have found the mentoring programmes organised by Wiseup are invaluable and our goals match up. Work experience placements allow students to develop the skills and perspective they need to get into an interview, but without mentoring young people struggle to have the confidence required to explain why they are right for a position. By helping students build a professional relationship with a mentor, I have found they have become more effective commutators of their own merits and skills by having multiple low stakes interactions with a professional role model. Degree Level Apprenticeships are particularly appealing to young people at the moment, and since working with Wiseup, there has been a direct correlation with mentored students applying for and then being offered places on these highly competitive courses. I would highly recommend Wiseup's mentoring programmes to any school.”
We’re incredibly proud to play a part in this transformative programme, working alongside partners so passionate about supporting the next generation. To take part in your own programme, contact our team today.
