This is the last in our series looking at the winners of this year’s GMCC Excellence Awards.
The prestigious awards, which are now in their fourth year, recognise organisations, leaders and teams who have demonstrated success within their industries and communities across Greater Manchester – read more about the awards here.
WiseUp Networks - People and Community Award
WiseUp Networks connects students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with employers, allowing the next generation to establish their first professional network, gain an advantage in their careers and make informed decisions on their future. To achieve this, it trains employees in partner companies to become effective mentors for students at this key point in their lives.
WiseUp Networks partners with businesses to upskill their employees to become mentors for 16-18 year old students, preparing them to deliver 1-2-1 mentoring sessions in the lead up to life-changing work experience opportunities at the partner companies themselves.
The Pathfinder Programme helps students who feel disconnected from the world of work gain invaluable insight, whilst forming lasting professional networks. Students from all backgrounds thus feel inspired to make informed decisions about their future careers, regardless of network or circumstances.
The judges said: "We felt that the work of WiseUp Networks stood out in what was a remarkably strong category of applications due to the significant focus on creating accessible pathways for young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds into the workforce. This commitment to eliminating barriers by both working with young people and by training employees at partner companies to ensure that any workplace opportunities/experiences are maximised was particularly interesting – along with the commitment to providing legacy support and assisting young people in developing their networking skills to grow their own professional connections which will remain with them throughout their careers.
"The way in which the Pathfinder programme combines a more personable approach to supporting entry into the working world along with traditional support services such as CV skills, LinkedIN profile creation, mentoring and other training provides a clear route to educate young people on potential opportunities while supporting them in developing their skills. All of this provides more equal access to opportunities and more diversity in terms of the leaders of the future."
For more information on WiseUp Networks, click here.
The People and Community Award was sponsored by Oliver Cookson Foundation.