Good networks significantly increase chances of finding employment. When coupled with the fact that statistically only 3 in every 10 jobs are advertised and that 50% of our poorest young people are in the 20% most underperforming schools, you start to see why. Increasingly, a lack of professional networks is being used as a new measure of poverty.

The ‘Amplify Me’ programme is a 6-week, 1 hour a week mentoring programme that teaches the benefits of networking to year 10 students.

Our carefully designed intervention workshops enable students to think about their strengths and aspirations, and gives them the confidence to speak up for their future. There are approx. 20 students in each group and each workshop is supported by mentors from local businesses

100% of students said they felt empowered when they were able to request what they wanted to learn. Our workshops helped them gain an understanding of why learning, education and behaviour is important to fulfil their life goals.

Get involved: We will need 4 mentors to support the weekly delivery and a further 6 mentors to take part in Amplify Me week 6 LVN Networking Games. All sessions are facilitated by LVN. To find out more about how your organisation could get involved, please contact knowmore@lvn.org.uk.

Students at College are about to enter the workplace, often with little or no idea what to expect. We aim to bridge the gap between education and work by bringing the workplace into the classroom.

Our corporate partners sponsor a class and take them on a journey, teaching them about the specifics of their industry. They also pose a real-life business challenge for the class to solve. At the end of the programme, the class is invited into the offices of the business to present their findings. In some instances, our corporate partners offer work experience.

90% of our students said their confidence had improved and they felt more able to speak to new and diverse people. 95% said they felt more work ready because of the programme.

Get involved: To find out more, contact knowmore@lvn.org.uk

To address network poverty of primary school aged children, LVN has developed a specific primary school programme “When I’m older”, combining visibility on employment options, the ability to apply primary learning to future jobs and an opportunity to meet with mentors from various industries to help explain the skills and thinking needed to get a job in their industry. This specific programme is STEAM focussed.

Our monthly sessions, over 6 months allows year 5 students to meet with mentors from a variety of backgrounds, each month focused on a different topic covering Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. Month 1 is the LVN introductory week where students find out about STEAM as a whole and prepare the students to ask inquisitive questions when the volunteers arrive in future months.

Volunteers are asked to commit to attending the 5 sessions in their month. This is in person volunteering at 5 primary schools in Islington and the sessions are grouped to take place over 2 days (a Tuesday and Friday between the hours of 9-3pm).

“This programme is exceptional. I never thought to relate learning to future jobs.” – Year 5 teacher.

Get involved: All our registered volunteers who work in STEAM related roles are eligible to participate in our Primary School programme. Register now. For more information on becoming a volunteer, click here.

Young people use technology to facilitate their education, social life and communication. Many leave school with limited understanding of the working world and what they have to offer.

We’ve developed a free, online mentoring programme that takes place on Microsoft Teams. Young people receive their invitations via our app. During the rotating sessions, we take participants through 5 important areas of preparing for work:

1. Identifying your skills & passions

2. Understanding the job description

3. Writing a CV and personal statement that stands out

4. Interview practise

5. Meet a HR or Hiring Manager

Completion of the programme unlocks the opportunity to request a group mentoring session with a professional from an industry of their choice or to request one-2-one online mentoring support. The preparation they have done will have them in a strong position to maximise the value of meeting a mentor. Find out more about volunteering online.

Get involved: All our registered volunteers are eligible to participate in our online group mentoring programme. Register now.

After completing 6 group online mentoring sessions or one of our 6-week school programmes, young people become eligible for One-2-One online mentoring.

Want to support a young person in more personalised individual mentoring sessions?

All One-2-One mentors receive mentoring training (induction and on-going)

Mentors providing One-2-One mentoring must pass an interview and undergo a full Enhanced DBS check.
Mentors and Mentees commit to a minimum 6 online sessions.
Dates and times for the sessions are set by Mentor and Mentee.

Setting up an online One-2-One mentoring session

• Mentors will be provided with an LVN email address.
• All communication between the Mentor and Mentee will take place via this email account.
• The Mentor will set up the online meetings using this email and the LVN Office 365 account.
• LVN will have visibility of all meetings and can drop into any meeting.
• All meetings will take place for 1 hour between 7am-7pm.
• After all sessions Mentor and Mentee completes a feedback form.

Resources and guidance

LVN provide guidance on recommended session structure and content. This includes advice, topics you could cover, activities and resources. 

LVN track the number of sessions. After 6 sessions the mentoring match will terminate unless both parties request that it be continued for another 6 sessions.

If you would like to apply to become a Local Village Network One-2-One online mentor, click here.

Young people use technology to facilitate their education, social life and communication, but many are uncomfortable speaking with strangers over video conferencing software despite the increasing role it plays in our professional lives.

As a youth charity one of our core missions is to be where the youth are. We have worked with youth charity Soapbox to develop the LVN Virtual Reality (VR) Networking programme where young people can learn networking skills and take them one step closer to being comfortable meeting people face to face online.

Participating is easy. The young participants wearing their VR headsets will be immersed in the virtual space and taken through a series of activities designed to teach them the importance of networking and how they can build the skills needed to achieve their goals.

Mentors access the LVN virtual world via their computers for the second half of the session. They won’t need a VR headset and can participate via their normal computer webcam. They share their life experience and advice with the young people in the virtual space in our standard Power of an Hour format.

100% of youth participants thoroughly enjoyed the programme and said that they learnt the importance of being open and starting conversations with new and diverse people.

“Very fun, I really enjoyed that and I learnt a lot about networking” – Year 8 student, Schools Pilot.

Get involved: All our registered volunteers are eligible to participate in our VR programme. Register now. For more information on becoming a volunteer, click here.