For media relations contact: Travers Lee at Workfinder: marketing@founders4schools.org.uk www.founders4schools.org.uk www.workfinder.com About Founders4Schools: Founders4Schools (F4S) builds smart connections between schools and the world of work. As a GovTech charity operating in the education sector, it is dedicated to improving the ecosystem for scaleups by closing the skills gap. F4S works with enterprise advisors, school coordinators and head teachers in primary and secondary schools throughout England and Scotland to help their pupils aged 8 to 16 reach the milestone of at least four encounters with employers each year and to help their pupils aged 16-24 reach the milestone of 140 hours of work experience placements. F4S works nationally and locally with organisations including the Science Park Association, the LEP Network, TechNation, LinkedIn, Duedil, the CBI, FSB, IOD, Chambers of Commerce, LEPs, Local Authorities and CEC. National partners include the BBC, Barclays Bank, The Evolution Trust, Peter Cundill Foundation and Nominet Trust. Local partners include regional government such as Camden Council, as well as public, private and third sector business, and community support groups and networks. Their programmes help educators to connect with successful, growing businesses through a wide variety of career and business encounters. Their work-experience service, Workfinder, which is available on mobile phones, puts the young person at the centre of the search process and enables them to gain work experience and apprenticeship roles with fast-growing businesses within their local communities. The programme is sustained by more than 2,000 partners and 35,000 business leaders of startups and scaleups who volunteer their time. More than 100,000 young people have had on average two encounters with business leaders. After such encounters, 96% reported feeling inspired by the speakers, 87% said they wished to go into business (versus the national average of 60%) and 54% were keen to go on to study STEM subjects (twice the national average).
Registered Charity Number 1162197