Standard Chartered employees inspire young people across London to reach career goals

23 September 2020 – London, Standard Chartered Bank is providing career insight talks to school children across London, supporting teachers to inspire our next generation to learn, earn and grow.  This is all part of the Bank’s global initiative, Futuremakers, which aims to tackle economic inequality and targets young people from underserved communities.

Starting yesterday, to mark The Lord Mayor’s Appeal City Giving Day 2020, employees from the Bank volunteered to host a career talk ‘carousel’ at Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre, East Ham, London.  Undeterred by COVID-19 and adapted to a virtual event, the group of 35 children, boys and girls aged between 14-16 years old, listened to a number of professionals who shared insights into their career journeys and current roles.  Students heard live from experts in London, Ireland and Poland from different genders, backgrounds, ages and nationalities. Volunteers spoke about careers in cyber security, finance, legal, communications and other roles that exist in the City, but also answered questions and exchanged their thoughts, experiences and opinions in a live chat with the pupils.

Other employees are also recording short films recounting what a day in the life looks like in their specialist field or giving a flavour into their career journey, to encourage, empower and motivate students to achieve career goals and ambitions. Working closely with charity ELBA, during September, Standard Chartered is sharing the library of over 50 free career advice videos among secondary schools and further education colleges in the UK’s capital city, in boroughs like Redbridge, Newham and Barking and Dagenham. Hundreds of young people can use the resources as and when it’s convenient to learn about the diverse pathways into employment.

The Bank encourages its employees across Europe to use their time, skills and experiences to address the growing challenges of youth unemployment in the wake of COVID-19.

Tracy Clarke, Regional CEO for Europe and Americas, Standard Chartered Bank, said: “Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers programmes support young people to learn new skills and are hugely popular with our employee volunteers.  City Giving Day 2020 provides the ideal opportunity to highlight the Bank’s positive impact in our local communities and Here for good ethos, and help showcase the City of London as more than just a global leader in financial services.”

James Bounds, Careers Lead at Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre, said: “The interactive workshop on 22nd September was incredibly useful for our students. It busted many of their myths and preconceptions about careers in banking and the financial services sector, and gave them a nuanced and rich understanding of the career paths of Standard Chartered employees, as well as the skills required to thrive in a professional environment. Many of our students come from minority ethnic backgrounds and so they were inspired to see such a diverse panel of employees at Standard Chartered. Having the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers also helped boost their confidence at interacting with professional adults. The students left the workshop inspired and informed, and this will help guide future decisions they make about their careers and post-16 choices.”

Caroline Wright, Chief Executive Officer, The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, said: “Standard Chartered’s commitment to having an inclusive workplace that champions the wellbeing of their staff, whilst striving to ongoingly develop professional capabilities not only amongst their workforce but in the wider community, has made them an exemplary partner for The Lord Mayor’s Appeal. We are proud to collaborate with a firm who stands side by side with us in every aspect of our work and look forward to what we will achieve together over the years to come.”

Ian Parkes, Chief Executive, CEO of ELBA, said: “It’s a really tough time for young people – getting back on track with learning, and for those who have just left education or are going to be leaving this year, it is going to be harder than ever to find a good job. Business volunteers can make a real difference in keeping up confidence, making sure young people have the essential skills employers look for, and giving unique insight into how they can get into careers with good prospects. Many young people don’t have ready access to those opportunities, and help from a business person can make all the difference.”

Standard Chartered Bank’s employees can take up to four days a year in order to support our local communities to thrive and prosper.  Other recent Futuremakers initiatives in the UK include Goal, a 40-week programme that uses the power of sport to empower young girls in London and Liverpool schools to reach their full potential.