Scaleup programmes
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F4S [2022]
Talent and Skills
Impact for scaleups
1,705
Educators supported
31,000
Volunteers on the platform to choose from
800
Volunteers mentoring teachers and small businesses
560,688
Young people engaged with employers
1.4m+
Employer encounters to date
Key sectors
F4S is an educational-tech charity giving children and young people the opportunity to meet the people who are creating the jobs of tomorrow in their classrooms today.
It works with volunteer business leaders drawn from early stage scaling and scaleup businesses and provides a simple free-to-use digital platform for educators to connect with local business leaders and professionals.
Alongside its core activities its webinar service breaks down barriers to engagement and helps to connect students and business volunteers based in rural locations. This is supported by a series of webinars for educators to guide them through F4S’ online platform and provide advice on how to make the most out of the encounters for their students.
FS4 equips young people with an entrepreneurial mindset, social and problem solving skills as well as giving them an understanding of growing sectors with a focus on STEM and business and finance. It covers roles available in these sectors, career paths and educational and vocational routes into these careers.
F4S is also offering a suite of support through the Digital Boost programme, delivered in partnership with BCG Digital Ventures. The programme equips leaders and employees of small businesses and charities with digital knowledge to help them grow their organisations. It connects people who want to upskill with volunteer digital mentors for one-to-one sessions, workshops and tailored recommendations for action. More than 3,500 volunteer hours are offered each week.
In its first year Digital Boost connected 3,500 organisations with 2,400 mentors. Approximately half of those helped identify as female and more than 35 per cent are from ethnic minority backgrounds. Based on an average salary, the economic value of volunteer hours is estimated at £7.5 million a year.
