Young people constrained by circumstance are up to 20% more likely to become NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) when they lack guidance (The Gatsby Benchmarks). We believe the earlier they get access to appropriate horizons building opportunities, the more exponentially this gap closes.
Horizon Building Visits open up the world of work for ReachOut’s young people. From introducing our youngest members (ages 9–11) to the idea of jobs and skills, to helping older groups (ages 11–14) explore sectors, roles, and career pathways, these visits inspire young people to imagine their futures.
Designed in collaboration with our corporate partners, these visits showcase your organisation and inspire young people to see themselves in a range of roles. Sessions are led by corporate volunteers, with ReachOut staff on hand to support.
ReachOut arranges workplace visits between our corporate partners and the schools we work with. We communicate with both parties to ensure the visit runs smoothly, the young people get an insightful and engaging experience, and that our corporate partners have the opportunity to develop staff and showcase their organisation.
Workplace visits are designed in collaboration with our corporate partners to showcase their organisations, employees and inspire young people to work in their industry. We offer guidance and templates for the days agenda to ensure the visit is age appropriate and engaging – however we encourage you to be creative and have fun!
Generally, these visits take place in your office/place of work, and last for about two hours. The delivery of the workshop will be done by the corporate partner, but ReachOut staff will be there to support you at all times.
If you’re interested in running a workplace experience visit at your organisation, you can get in touch with Susanna Allegretti, our Corporate Volunteering Officer using the form below, or by emailing susanna.allegretti@reachoutuk.org.
“At first, I was really hesitant to take on the Project Leader role, despite having mentored with ReachOut. However, with the support of the team I’ve really developed my skills. For example, at the Mentee Graduation, I stood up in front of 200 people and presented an award which is something I would never ever have been able to have done before, and isn’t an opportunity I could gain in my other situations.”
Amy McCutcheon, Project Leader at ReachOut Academy, Dean Trust Ardwick, Manchester.
“Being able to spend the summer working at Rede Partners, was an amazing experience. Whether it was working in HR or Finance, I learned so much about the world of private equity, made great connections with fantastic people and I got to learn first-hand what it would be like to work there! I really believe that I can go onto build the career I want now I’ve been a part for a workplace for real”
Victor Adekunle, 18 years old, ReachOut Ambassador, London
“When I first my mentee, she was very reluctant to participate in the sessions. Now, I see a completely different person! Her confidence has grown and she is happy to join in! She still has some self-doubt when it comes to academic work, but that’s what I hope to help her overcome, because she is a very bright person!
Through mentoring, I’ve learnt I’m a lot more patient than I realised. There will be days where she refuses to participate and those are the days that I really see the importance of the character strengths, for both the mentees and the mentors. It also makes it easier for the mentee to understand the character strengths, when I use them myself”
Myrtle, ReachOut Club mentor at Tufnell Primary School, London
“There are more distractions than ever outside of school, and the commitment of our students to attend ReachOut sessions is testament to the value they place on the relationships they foster there, and the challenge and enjoyment they provide.
ReachOut’s focus on communication skills and character development has become an important aspect of our provision of support for these students. The opportunity to relate to a positive role- model other than their usual teachers is key to the programme’s impact, and the evidence of this has been seen in the students’ attendance, resilience and to their overall progress across all the subjects in the school.”
Thomas Janvrin, Assistant Vice Principal at the Petchey Academy London
