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4th February 2025 Celebrating 20,000 young people upskilled through Skills for Life with M&G plc

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The Talent Foundry’s partnership with M&G plc, launched in 2013, has reached an incredible milestone: 20,000 young people supported through our suite of programmes.

This achievement is testament to the power of a shared commitment to social mobility.

Our partners at M&G are unwavering in their dedication to building inclusive and resilient communities. By equipping young people with the skills and opportunities they need to become financially secure and thrive in the world of work, M&G’s vision perfectly aligns with The Talent Foundry’s mission.

Over our 12-year partnership, we’ve worked together to empower young people from underserved backgrounds to:

  • Expand their understanding of career opportunities
  • Build confidence in essential workplace skills
  • Develop networking and communication abilities through meaningful interactions with M&G volunteers.

Our Skills for Life collaboration is a range of high impact initiatives, reaching students aged 11 to 18 across the UK, and includes:

Skills for Life: Empowering students with essential workplace skills and personal financial management insights, including office visits to connect with M&G volunteers.

Place-based projects: Inspiring young people in Middlesbrough, Rochdale and Blackpool through workshops in inspirational venues, to raise aspirations and boost engagement with education.

The Enterprise Challenge: Making maths fun and practical for 11–13 year-olds, with a focus on real-world applications, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial thinking.

Masterclasses: Delivered in M&G offices, these hands-on sessions offer students insights into areas like technology, coding, and the daily operations of a leading financial services company.

CV reviews: A bespoke service that enables 16–18-year-olds to receive meaningful CV feedback from M&G volunteers, helping them craft professional, job-ready CVs.

The Bridge to M&G Pre-Apprenticeship programme: Combining in-person mentoring, industry workshops, and online coaching, this initiative equips young people with the tools and confidence to succeed.

Watch the Bridge in action in our showreel.

One participant, Mohima from Plumstead Manor School, shared:

This programme has benefitted me as I was able to develop a better understanding of the career I want to pursue and the skills I need. It also taught me new skills and helped me adapt previous ones I wasn’t confident in, like public speaking.

A heartfelt thank you to M&G plc and all the incredible volunteers that have supported the programme over the years. Your unwavering dedication to empowering the next generation has been seen 20,000 times over.

Teachers can book their students onto our programmes by visiting our programme pages.