WIBF’s new social mobility strategy – partnership with the EY Foundation and the Chartered Banker Institute.

Many of our corporate partners and individual members have expressed interest in WIBF’s new social mobility strategy. We are now asking you to get involved… The first phase of this strategy is an exciting partnership with the EY Foundation and the Chartered Banker Institute.

The financial services sector, so deeply important to the UK and which contributes nearly £165 billion annually to our GDP, sadly still struggles to reflect broader society.

Many of our corporate partners and individual members have expressed interest in WIBF’s new social mobility strategy. We are now asking you to get involved…

The first phase of this strategy is an exciting partnership with the EY Foundation and the Chartered Banker Institute.

“Smart Futures is about unlocking hidden talent,” says Kathryn Eastwood, from the EY Foundation. “Enabling bright, ambitious, incredibly determined young people, who are eager to learn about financial services. They need to get their foot in the door.”

Our collaboration will see WIBF fundraising for recruitment, training and paid work placements. Our role is to bring a gender lens to the programme, recruiting school-age girls from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. We will be leveraging our extensive experience of supporting women’s careers in finance, as well as our industry-leading ACT research programme.*

LET’S ACT ON THE SOCIAL MOBILITY CHALLENGE – you can’t be what you can’t see.

While there’s no shortage of young people keen to enrol, our numbers are limited by how many firms offer their support. So, now is the time to sign up to support a nine-day programme, due to take place in summer 2022.

There are three ways you can get involved:

• As funder and host: minimum of 2 students per organisation including an employer hosting a 3-day business experience placement @ £2.5k per student
• Host only: funding provided by another institution or individual donations
• Fund only: an employer or individual makes a donation to the EY Foundation, a registered charity

Support young women from challenging backgrounds. Help them access real-life work education and find relatable, positive role models. Our mentoring will power future success for individuals, and diversity in finance.

The deadline for the summer cohort is 30th April. To sign up or find out more, please contact Nicky King [email protected]

* In association with the London School of Economics and The Wisdom Council.