Young Professionals shares successful strategies for reaching diverse and disadvantaged talent.

We all understand the importance of attracting diverse talent into future careers, and being able to deliver professional opportunities to young people is incredibly rewarding.

Here at Young Professionals, we successfully attract, engage, and convert thousands of students every year into their dream careers. However, extensive analysis of the demographics and geographic locations most engaged with us, indicated several hard-to-reach areas which contained more students from low socio-economic backgrounds.

It should be everyone’s mission to ensure that all students receive equal opportunities when it comes to their future.

Here are the strategies that we’ve adopted to reach a widespread student audience including potential apprentices in underserved areas. They provide insight to help employers attract diverse talent in the most hard-to-reach regions and we’ll be talking more about our strategies at this year’s ISE Student Recruitment Conference:

Make events accessible

One of the core principles at Young Professionals is ensuring that our events are accessible to everyone.

We achieve this by hosting events across the country, including in areas without local employers. This widespread geographical reach allows us to connect with a diverse array of students, ensuring that opportunities are available to those who might otherwise be overlooked.

We’re also strong advocates of virtual events and promote the benefits of a wider reaching audience to our clients. Social mobility factors can deter some of the brightest students to our in-person events, so offering a virtual alternative allows students to join us from anywhere in the UK.

Streamline event registration

We understand that the process of registering for and attending events should be as simple as possible. Young Professionals prioritises making event registration and attendance straightforward and hassle-free, removing barriers that might deter participation.

Build strong relationships with schools

Maintaining robust relationships with schools is a cornerstone of a successful approach. We don’t just send emails; we have regular check-in calls with teachers throughout the school year. This consistent communication helps build rapport and ensures that schools remain engaged with initiatives, making it easier to reach students.

Use data to provide focus

Our use of data insights from apprenticeships.co.uk allows us to track employer vacancies and identify areas where apprenticeships are less accessible.

By focusing our efforts on these regions, we ensure high engagement and attendance at events, bridging the gap between employers and potential apprentices in underserved areas.

Strong social reach

In today’s digital age, having a strong social media presence is crucial. Our extensive social reach across all channels ensures that even if students haven’t heard about an event from their school or via email, they will see it on social media. This broadens reach and increases awareness of events.

Power of role models

We believe in the power of role models. By profiling as many of our alumni as possible, we make opportunities seem attainable. These profiles inspire and encourage diverse applicants from hard-to-reach areas to pursue their ambitions, knowing that others like them have succeeded.

Engage student network

Finally, our vast and engaged student network plays a vital role in spreading the word. Our students frequently refer opportunities to their peers, especially in underserved areas. It’s common for students to bring friends or invite others who might be interested but were previously unaware of the events.

By implementing these strategies, YP continues to attract diverse talent from even the most hard-to-reach regions. Our commitment to accessibility, streamlined processes, strong school relationships, data-driven focus, extensive social reach, alumni profiling, and an engaged student network ensures that we can connect employers with a broad and diverse pool of talent.

Find out more about strategies that can attract diverse talent in the most hard-to-reach regions at this year’s ISE Student Recruitment Conference.

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