Uptree

The challenge

Uptree has been working with IBM to raise its employer profile with school-leavers, particularly BAME and low-income students in London. IBM tasked us with helping more students to find out about the company, attend IBM open days and apply for its work experience programmes.

The solution

Reaching out

Without a network in place, connecting to specific groups of students is difficult. Uptree’s existing state-school partnerships enabled IBM to reach more students more efficiently.

IBM’s profile page on the Uptree website and our weekly student and teacher newsletters helped thousands of students find out more about IBM’s upcoming employability events and apprenticeship opportunities. Our Careers Curriculum lesson on IBM was sent to schools across the UK and reached nearly 30,000 students. We also delivered IBM-specific careers content via assemblies and workshops to 5,355 students in 47 schools across London.

Face to face connections

Following our outreach work, we had 232 applications to attend IBM work experience events. 163 students from over 100 schools attended IBM’s two work experience days and our #FuturesUP event.

• 40% identified as women.
• 20% were in receipt of free school meals.
• 80% were from non-white British backgrounds.

Some key takeaways from the event for me were the apprenticeship schemes offered and what the course involves; staff were very efficient in giving information and great to be around, they did a fantastic job in making the day interesting and interactive.
-student attending an IBM careers event

We really value the relationships Uptree has with schools and students, as it gives us the opportunity to reach people we wouldn’t be able to otherwise.
- Kelly Markwick, graduate and student recruitment at IBM

The results

Before attending the IBM careers events, on average only 49% of students considered IBM to be an attractive employer. After the events, an average of 93% of students said they considered IBM to be very or extremely attractive as an employer – a 90% increase.

70% of students said that they definitely plan on applying to work at IBM in the future.