10 Acquisition International - Non-Profit Organisation Awards 2023 Mar23582 Most Inspirational Youth Education Charity 2023 - UK In 1998, Blueprint for All was founded with the aim of creating an inclusive society, where all young people are provided with the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or background. Today, the charity works with young people and organisations to directly address the challenges that hold individuals back, striving to give them the best chance to succeed. In the modern day, many young people are at a disadvantage from the very start, simply because of their background. For example, unemployment is higher in ethnic minorities than in white people. In 2019, 8% of people from an ethnic heritage were unemployed, while at the same time only 4% of people from a white heritage were unemployed. Furthermore, those from a diverse ethnic heritage are 10% more likely to be working a second job and 4% less likely to have a permanent contract. On top of this, career progression is not equal; 20% of employees with a diverse ethnic heritage believe discrimination plays a part in a lack of career progression. Blueprint for All believes that race, ethnicity, and background should not limit what people are able to achieve in their life. Instead, it believes that all young people should receive the education, training, and support they need to reach their full potential. The charity works to increase the numbers of under-represented young people in various industries, strengthen and empower community groups, influence societal change and social policy, establish national reach for its programmes, and develop sustainable relationships with sponsors and partners. Striving to inspire and enable young people from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds to pursue their dream careers, Blueprint for All works with schools, universities, community groups, and employers, delivering 16 high impact programmes. Through this, the charity aids people between the ages of 13 and 30 by providing career advice and helping them gain necessary skills and qualifications. Education is crucial to lessening gaps in achievement and employment. According to the Social Mobility Foundation, people from disadvantaged backgrounds made up only 5% of students at the UK’s most selective universities in 2019. Regional differences demonstrate that this gap is more prominent outside of larger cities; up to 50% of disadvantaged students who live in London can expect to make it to the UK’s top universities, compared to only 10% in Barnsley, which is a market town in South Yorkshire. Schools across London, Birmingham, and Manchester can sign their students up to take part in Blueprint for All’s free programmes. These are designed to help students from primary schools, secondary schools, and sixth forms learn about the pathways to different careers, understand the link between education and employment, and build employability, CV, and interview skills. The charity also provides bursaries to young people who would otherwise struggle to proceed to higher education, enabling them to pursue their career goals. Beyond education, Blueprint for All strives to reduce inequalities in the workplace to support the early careers of young people. To do this, the charity partners with corporations, from SMEs to multinationals, seeking to make impactful change in the levels of diversity and inclusion across various industries. In the last 3 years, the number of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in FTSE100 management roles has dropped to under 1%. Through its Building Inclusive Futures Consultancy, Blueprint for All has advised and guided over 250 FTSE organisations, aiming to achieve systemic change and influence policymakers at the highest level. Furthermore, the charity has recently launched a new digital platform, My Blueprint for All, which equips young people with an exciting range of resources, events, and work opportunities with its partner businesses. In 2023, it aims to engage with 2000 young people via My Blueprint for All, with the intention of increasing this number by 20% year on year. The Covid-19 pandemic’s differentiated effect on the UK population, as well as the death of George Floyd and the subsequent BLM protests, have resulted in huge transformation for Blueprint for All. In 2020, it was approached by more than 400 corporations who were inspired to make impactful change. As a result, over the last few years, Blueprint for All has experienced exponential growth, with its team increasing from 8 to 36 since 2020. This has broadened its capacity to engage with community members and leaders to create essential resources and deliver important workshops. In the last year, the charity has been able to support over 3000 young people. Furthermore, it now has 47 multi-year partnerships and is the charity of choice for 30 organisations. Blueprint for All has received a plethora of positive feedback from people who have taken part in its programmes. Its Building Futures Programme has resulted in a 50% increase in knowledge and understanding of architecture apprenticeships. Its Enterprise and Innovation Programme made 94% of participants feel more inspired. They also reported an increase in understanding of how to succeed when pursuing entrepreneurial pathways. Furthermore, 78% of those who took part in one of Blueprint for All’s workshops felt that their employability skills had improved. As a result of its Students at Risk Programme, 65% of students felt more inspired and confident about their professional development and pursuing
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