About Us

Career Academies UK is a national charity that links schools and colleges with employers to help prepare young people for the world of work. 

We provide a structured programme of internships, mentoring by employer volunteers, masterclasses and workplace visits to give 16-19 year olds the work experience and skills they need to be able to perform more effectively in the wider world. This highly successful programme, which has run for over ten years, is designed to complement students’ studies.

We work with more than 4,000 volunteers from over 1,400 employers large and small. Our employers are from the public, private and voluntary sectors and include major multi-nationals and a quarter of the FTSE 100 companies. As a business-led charity, we are governed by a Board of senior leaders.

We work with 140 schools and colleges who operate 180 Career Academies across the UK. Over 2,700 students from all parts of the UK are currently on the programme. Since we began in 2002, over 5,000 students have graduated from the programme. 

Career Academy students are often from urban areas of social need. We give students, who may have little family background of higher education or experience of social mobility, the confidence and opportunity to engage with employers.

Over 85% of Career Academy students progress to university or directly into employment or work based learning such as apprenticeships or school leaver programmes. 

And it’s not just the students who benefit. Employers report that engaging with a Career Academy enhances staff development and demonstrates their corporate values.