The purpose
Tackle economic inactivity through long-term, place-based intervention
The approach
Sustained partnership supporting students and staff
The outcome
Improved readiness for work and long-term social mobility
We’re piloting a new approach to working with schools, supporting students and teachers to build skills while increasing aspiration and future resilience.
Setting the scene
Too often a young person’s background determines their future, rather than their talent and potential. Business has a major role to play in advancing social mobility and developing solutions.
Our research into economic inactivity highlighted the importance of intervening early - before people enter the workplace - to reduce the risk of losing skills and talent from the workforce. Sustained employer engagement at school age can help raise aspirations, build essential skills and prevent young people becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training).
By working in partnership with a school over time, rather than through one-off encounters, employers can help create meaningful, lasting change.
Our work
We launched a year-long pilot, starting at the beginning of the 2025/26 academic year, with a secondary school selected in collaboration with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority based on the high proportion of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The pilot is designed to test a new model of sustained, place-based engagement with schools.
Working closely with staff at Parrs Wood school, we co-designed a tailored programme of activity spanning the academic year. It focuses on equipping students with essential employability skills, increasing confidence and aspiration, and providing insight into the world of work. Initial activity for this pilot phase targeted students in Years 8, 10 and 12, through age-appropriate support.
Alongside our core community programme, the partnership has opened access to additional activities, such as the PwC Pantomime, a project with Go Live Theatre and AI upskilling for teachers.
"We hope it will improve their understanding of the workplace, develop their skills and look more broadly at the range of opportunities available to them. Inspiring them to look outside of their current sphere of experience when they think about their future. It would be great if we could take this partnership into future years and build a sustainable programme that can be seen as ‘best practice’."
Anita, Careers Lead, Parrs WoodThe impact
The pilot is currently underway and will run through the 2025/26 academic year, with full evaluation scheduled for completion later in 2026.
The partnership aims to improve students’ preparedness for the future and support the school in delivering high-quality careers learning. By intervening early and sustaining engagement over time, the goal is to reduce the risk of young people becoming economically inactive and contribute to more resilient local communities.
Insights from the pilot will inform future plans with Parrs Wood and the development of a scalable model for wider impact.
To date, we have delivered a range of activities to support students and teachers, with further activities planned throughout the rest of the academic year.
Completed several sessions including workplace visits, an in-school skills session and a teacher upskilling workshop that reached over 200 students and staff
Our team delivered Money Making Sense financial literacy sessions to 300 students in Years 8 and 9
“…a massive thank you for the Panto tickets! The students (and staff) absolutely LOVED it! The students who attended had never visited the theatre before today, so it was such a huge treat for them! Thanks once again for such an incredible opportunity for the pupils - a day I'm sure they'll never forget!”
Katie, Assistant Head Teacher, Parrs Wood
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