The Talent Foundry helps young people from underserved communities discover what they are amazing at, develop valuable employment skills, and prepare for the world of work. With partners like Capacity Europe, the Talent Foundry provides intensive employability workshops combined with mentoring and coaching to empower young people to win jobs previously out of reach.
What drives the Talent Foundry
Parental income remains the single strongest indicator of educational attainment.
Too much talent is wasted in society. This has generational consequences on individuals, families and communities.
The work the Talent Foundry does with young people in underserved communities responds directly to the challenges and barriers they face – giving them the tools to develop the skills to take their future into their own hands and be independent, active citizens.
The Talent Foundry’s story
The Talent Foundry was founded in 2009 by CEO, Amy Leonard MBE.
Initially set-up as a grant funder with the objective of providing fully funded extra-curricular activities for school students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, we wanted to give these students opportunities that were experienced and enjoyed by their peers from more affluent schools.
In 2011, we transitioned to a service delivery organisation and developed an operating model of Design, Deliver and Evaluate, which created bespoke programmes and delivered in partnership with corporate donors. That year we also established our amazing ‘Rock Assembly’ event a combination of a career's festival and pop concert, becoming a real highlight of the year for the students we work with.