Help your students reach their potential

We are a youth charity that believes every young person should have the opportunity to succeed and reach their potential. Click ‘Get Started’ to register for an account for your school/college or scroll down to discover free resources that can help set your students on the path to reaching their career potential.

How can we help your students?

Our charity exists to help your students to carve their own path in life. If you represent a UK state secondary school or college, click on the tiles below to explore our latest work experience opportunities, browse our library of inspirational talks or arrange for a VIP speaker to visit your school or find out more about our online book club.

Who benefits from what we offer?

You, your students and the employers we work with! The more we can support you in helping your students into careers they love, the more we all stand to benefit from having a more diverse and productive workforce. Without our charity’s help, it can be hard for some young people to get ahead or even imagine themselves in certain careers.

Let us help supplement your school/college’s careers education programme so that you can improve your students’ outcomes.

Help your students learn about a wider range of career options
Get your students in front of big-name businesses wherever they live
Boost your students’ skills and confidence
Get evidence for your child’s CV, personal statement, apprenticeship or job application
Enable your students to find careers that really suit them
Get free support to help your students to reach their potential

Our frequent
collaborators

Who are Speakers for Schools?

Launched in 2010 by ITV’s Political Editor Robert Peston, Speakers for Schools is a youth social mobility charity that seeks to raise career ambitions among young people from less privileged backgrounds across the UK, and provide the necessary inspiration, experience and networking opportunities for them to succeed.

We provide support in the form of local, national and UK-wide opportunities to young people from state schools, colleges and ITPs at no cost to students, parents/carers or your school/college/ITP. Since launch, we have already supported more than 1.3 million young people to discover more about the world of work.

Since the start of the pandemic, we have partnered with over 1,000 employers to offer industry-leading virtual work experience to young people in every region of the UK. We already work with over 3,400 schools, colleges and ITPs in England and, through our charity, young people from anywhere in England can:

  • Access high-quality work experience that meets Gatsby Benchmarks 5 and 6
  • Take part in employer-led activities based on the Skills Builder Universal Framework
  • Expand their knowledge of careers and pathways into different careers

The latest from the blog

Richard Murrell

Meet the Speaker: Introducing Richard Murrell, Lead Director of BBC News 

Meet the Speaker: Introducing Richard Murrell, Lead Director of BBC News  I can still remember the icy internal fear of “Imposter syndrome” as I stepped forward to the welcoming applause from students at St John Payne School in Chelmsford.  My first talk took place in October 2014, and from that day to now, I have been on a voyage of discovery and joy.  The very essence of Speakers for Schools in built upon giving something back. Each and every member of the Speaker “Family” has a story to tell – of wonder, of application and dedication – a truth that […]

Healthcare leaders go back to school

Healthcare leaders go back to school As part of plans to mark the NHS’s 75th birthday, more than 120 of the country’s most senior NHS, health and care leaders are going back to school to talk to children and young people about why they should consider a career in the NHS. The initiative, which is a partnership between NHS England and the charity Speakers for Schools, was kicked off in early March when Dr Arun Chidambaram, Medical Director, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust gave a talk to over 130 children at Shirebrook Academy in Derbyshire. Other senior leaders set to […]

Leicester City’s charity arm partners with Speakers for Schools to introduce young people to future careers

Leicester City’s charity arm partners with Speakers for Schools to introduce young people to future careers Leicester, 20 December 2022: Social mobility charity Speakers for Schools has partnered with Leicester City Football Club’s charitable arm, Leicester City in the Community, to introduce SEND students to the world of careers available at the football club. From accountants to groundskeeping, hospitality, marketing, and educational outreach, 12 students from West Gate School in Leicester gained a rare insight into careers beyond the football pitch. Over a four week course, students learnt about the vast range of roles behind the scenes to make Leicester […]