WHAT WE DO
AMPLIFY ME PROGRAMME
Designed to create long-lasting change that is replicable in any school or college, Amplify Me teaches the importance of networking and how to build positive connections. It builds trust and self-confidence which remains long after the programme has finished.
Amplify Me is a 6-week programme of weekly 1-hour sessions delivered in classrooms to year 10 or 12 students. Each programme matches a group of students with a partnered business who provide volunteer mentors.
The programme is structured by the Amplify Me booklet and facilitated by a member of the LVN team who guides students and volunteers through the activities and discussions.- Weeks 1-5 take place in the classroom where volunteers talk about their job roles, industries, and career journeys. Students learn about their options for the future, reflect and build on their skills and interests, and develop confidence for the future.
- Week 6 is a trip to the offices of the business. Here students meet additional volunteers, practise their new networking skills, and deliver a short speech to an audience of working professionals and their peers.
- At the core is a simple and powerful model that has been developed over 8 years of working with young people and is proven to work.
- A vulnerable young person that meets 10 people who are positive role models and come from outside their usual sphere of influence, increases their career prospects and develop a more positive mindset.
- We’re always looking for more businesses and schools to join our programme. Get in touch to find out more.
TESTIMONIALS
"Since speaking to Takudzwa today I have thought more about applying for an Apprenticeship. I think it may be good for me."
"The energy in the room is great, you can see they are really enjoying it. The students didn't want to leave."
"One parent said ‘My boy never comes home from school happy. This changes when he attends LVN.’"
- Student, Haringey
- Teacher, Westminster
- Teacher, Tower Hamlets
"Since speaking to Takudzwa today I have thought more about applying for an Apprenticeship. I think it may be good for me."
- Student, Haringey
"The energy in the room is great, you can see they are really enjoying it. The students didn't want to leave."
- Teacher, Westminster
"One parent said ‘My boy never comes home from school happy. This changes when he attends LVN.’"
- Teacher, Tower Hamlets
ONE-2-ONE ONLINE MENTORING
Students who have participated in our Amplify Me group mentoring programme can continue their journey with One-2-One online mentoring through the LVN mentoring portal. This provides young people with the chance to continue their journey, talk to more professionals, and become career ready.
LVN's One-2-One online mentoring programme allows young people to match with a consistent mentor for monthly sessions over 3 months. Their mentor might work in an industry or role that the young person is interested in, have a similar background, or be someone they were inspired by during Amplify Me.
The meetings are held on the LVN mentoring portal, automatically recorded, and a teacher is present in the classroom with the students at all times. Adults can volunteer as mentors, with a commitment to as little as 3x 35-minute sessions - enough time to meet a young person and have a positive impact on their life.
We want professionals from all industries and at any stage of their careers to get involved. What's important is a willingness to be open about your experience and a genuine desire to listen to and help young people.
How it works
Mentors are matched with the same young person for 3x 35-minute sessions and will receive comprehensive online training from LVN. The sessions are structured using LVN content in the form of an online booklet. This facilitates introductory conversations, goal setting and provides content and guidance to work through a selection of employability-based mentoring topics.
Mentors do not have to be an expert on any of these topics. The booklet contains advice and discussion prompts that help students and mentors work through the content together.
YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES
The LVN signposting platform highlights a wide range of opportunities and support available to young Londoners.
We've searched London to find opportunities for young people and we've put them in one place, making it easier for everyone to find. Take a look!
We encourage the young people we work with to continue their networking journey by attending some of the many youth activities across London.
We actively engage with the community to discover and share these opportunities and are interested to hear from any groups or organisations that would like to be included.
If your organisation provides apprenticeships, entry level jobs, or youth activities and resources (e.g. youth clubs, sports clubs, counselling etc.), please apply below to feature your opportunities for free. If you do not have an account, you will need to create one first.
WORK EXPERIENCE
WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENTS VIA THE LVN PLATFORM
Work experience is another powerful part of a young person’s journey towards meaningful and sustained employment. Work experience gives a young person the chance to see inside a company, get introduced to a wider network, and gain the experience of a day at work.
Students who have participated in Amplify Me can request a work experience placement through the LVN platform, indicating the industries and roles that interest them. Some of the businesses we work with provide work experience placements and, whilst not guaranteed, we do our best to make beneficial matches.
Some of the types of work experience opportunities available include:
- 1 day
- 1 week
- 2 weeks
- 200 hours
With limited access to networks, the young people we work with find it difficult to secure the work experience placements that are part of the school curriculum. If you can offer work experience or are interested to find out more, please click the links below.
PRIMARY
'WHEN I GROW UP, I WANT TO BE...'
The LVN Primary School Mentoring Programme, 'When I Grow Up, I Want To Be...' is designed to build awareness and aspirations for STEAM-related study and careers among primary school students.
In this group mentoring programme, delivered in classrooms over a period of 6 months and 6 sessions, each student in a class receives their own work booklet and meet a variety of volunteers working in STEAM industries.
The volunteer mentors help year 5 students to link curriculum learning with their job role. All sessions are delivered by a Local Village Network Facilitator.
TESTIMONIALS
"The session linked with the science curriculum; learning about different jobs within STEAM and healthcare more specifically."
"I like that you work on different projects and collaborate with different people. We learnt that we need to have good communication skills for when we are older."
"It was a big surprise to see normally quiet students become so active. Many have taken a greater interest in STEAM topics since our visitor."
- Teacher
- Primary School Student
- Teaching Assistant
"The session linked with the science curriculum; learning about different jobs within STEAM and healthcare more specifically."
- Teacher
"I like that you work on different projects and collaborate with different people. We learnt that we need to have good communication skills for when we are older."
- Primary School Student
"It was a big surprise to see normally quiet students become so active. Many have taken a greater interest in STEAM topics since our visitor."
- Teaching Assistant
OUR IMPACT
Each half-term we support 12 schools in 10 boroughs across London. We increase the confidence, know-how, aspiration, and networking abilities of the young people we support.
18
Schools participated
10
London boroughs
1,292
Young people supported
34
Businesses engaged
It is really important to us that we understand the impact our programmes are having. Our monitoring and evaluation uses qualitative and quantitative methods and is based around the 4 categories of: Skills, Networking, Opportunities, Aspiration
The social impact of our programmes.
- Removing the apprehension that young people often feel about engaging with professionals, who can feel intimidating to them.
- Creating a safe and nurturing environment with adults showing interest and encouragement. This has a huge positive impact and allows young people to explore their capabilities and career interests more freely.
- Providing positive interactions with people from different backgrounds and with different experiences. This builds trust in society, leaving young people feeling more valued, accepted, and hopeful.
- Sharing volunteer knowledge and experience from the real world. This allows young people to picture a path to employment that could work for them.
- Giving volunteers a chance to give back and see first-hand the impact of their actions. Volunteers can promote their industry and entry-level opportunities to a wider range of young people.
- Re-engaging students with their education. Schools see improved levels of discipline, increased attendance, and better levels of engagement in the classrooms.
- Giving Amplify Me graduates access to ongoing online mentoring and work experience placements offered by our partners.
