Uptree

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in London, Equitix is a leading international investor, developer, and long-term fund manager of core infrastructure assets. Equitix now manages over 330 assets across 18 countries on behalf of its investors, including a large proportion of UK pension funds, with assets under management of £8bn. Some of its successful core infrastructure projects in the UK include the M25 motorway, High Speed 1 Railway and the Royal Papworth Hospital.

The challenges

Structure and accountability

When Uptree began its partnership with Equitix, as a growing business, the company’s available HR resources were stretched. The firm’s objectives were to increase their brand visibility to a younger audience with a view to informing and positively influencing their potential future talent pipeline. To allow the group to develop and meet their Early Careers programme objectives, they identified that they needed external support to do this.

Their criteria in partnership selection was clear; they would only consider partnering with a business whose values were aligned, who they could hold accountable as an employer to drive positive change and help them deliver their targets for business-wide diversity and inclusion.

“Uptree feels like an extension of our team. The friendly and down-to-earth nature of the team at Uptree and our alignment around supporting students makes it a pleasure to work together.”

Saffron Collins-Tong, Human Resources Advisor, Equitix

Raising awareness amongst young people

Equitix wanted to raise awareness of its industry and employer brand amongst students from low-income communications and schools across the UK, with a specific focus on London.

The company was also keen to drive female interest in their business, a group currently underrepresented in the wider industry, but their small team and lack of resources made this difficult.

The solution

Student outreach

Equitix has been able to tap into Uptree’s school and student networks, with assemblies and workshops promoting the company and its career opportunities to a younger, previously inaccessible, audience. By working with the Uptree team, Equitix were able to put their brand at the forefront of students’ minds as they focused on their futures.

Student engagement

Uptree’s student network provided Equitix with a pool of young people to engage in their tailored events and career opportunities. E-newsletters and social media activity, developed in collaboration with the Uptree team, led to over 500 students applying to attend Work Experience Days and an Application Masterclass at Equitix’s offices.

Insight events

In 2021/22…

• 3 Work Experience Days
• 1 Application Masterclass
• 122 students across 96 schools
• 51% women

During the work experience events, employees at Equitix were on hand to guide students, offering insights on the careers available in a way that the company hadn’t done before. For many of the students in attendance, these events provided the first introduction to careers at the company.

Students wanting to further explore careers at Equitix took part in an Application Masterclass that introduced them to the available roles at the company and provided insights on how to apply. Group activities, mock interviews and CV workshops, delivered by Equitix employees, gave students the perfect opportunity to learn what makes a candidate successful, equipping them with practical skills for the future.

The events connected Equitix to an engaged group of young people whilst providing valuable volunteering opportunities for their employees. Positive feedback and word of mouth amongst employees has helped to create ‘Uptree event champions’; employees who are always keen to take part in future events to support young people with their career development.

Programme development

Whilst the initial focus for Equitix was on raising awareness of their brand amongst young people, in July 2022 the company created four internship roles as part of a new scheme to offer students hands-on experience. It’s thanks to the demonstrable impact of their work with Uptree that Equitix has been able to develop the scheme, with one of four placements being secured by an Uptree student.

U.N. Sustainable Development Goals

Through its partnership with Uptree, Equitix have been able to work towards 5 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

Goal 4: Quality Education

Equitix has helped to improve students’ knowledge of Early Careers roles in the company and wider industry, helping them to make informed decisions about their futures.

Goal 5: Gender Equality

51% of students that attended work experience and masterclass events partnership were female.

Goal 8: Decent work and Economic Growth

44% of students that attended work experience and masterclass events were in receipt of free school meals.

Goal 10: Reduced inequalities

84% of students that attended work experience and masterclass events are from BAME (Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic) backgrounds.

Goal 17: Partnerships for Goals

Equitix has partnered with Uptree to improve their student outreach and connect with young people.

The results

Changing students’ perceptions

The partnership has connected Equitix with a diverse talent pool of young people. From student feedback, the events are helping Equitix to become an employer of choice amongst the younger generation.

Following Equitix’s work experience events in 2021/22:

Before the events, 43% of students were considering applying for careers at Equitix. This changed to 99% after the events - a 130% increase.

97% said the events were ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ useful in helping them understand careers in Investment Management.

Following the Application Masterclass in 2022:

Before the event, 28% were planning on applying to an Early Careers opportunity at Equitix. This increased to 72% of students after the event, with 28% considering it.

100% of students said the event was ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ useful in improving their confidence about applying to Equitix.

Student testimonials:

“It has expanded my knowledge and given me a greater insight, so I am more likely to explore this career in the future.”

“I now have a clear understanding of what it would be like to work in this industry, especially after the industry task and networking which I found extremely useful.”

Looking forward

Due to the success in 2021/22, Equitix and Uptree look forward to expanding their partnership in 2022/23 to include student outreach and engagement in Manchester through school sessions and a Work Experience Day.