Fledglink joins the Speakers for Schools family

Fledglink (@Fledglinkapp), the early careers app, is joining the Speakers for Schools (@speakrs4schools) family to continue its mission to help every young person reach their potential.

Founded by Ellie Yell in 2017, Fledglink offers a vital service to young people to prepare themselves for life after education, introduces alternative pathways to university and provides CV and interview support. Every school leaver deserves to have a clear picture of what their options and next steps are.

Speakers for Schools was founded over a decade ago by ITV’s political editor Robert Peston and supported by the Law Charitable Foundation. The charity has supported over 1.2 million young people toward becoming better prepared for their onward life and career journey and is committed to continuing to provide an excellent service to young people across the UK.

Since 2017, Fledglink has changed the way in which thousands of diverse students and unemployed young people engage with their future; equipping them with the skills, support and opportunities they need to reach their potential. The pandemic heightened the need for digital career-related products and therefore quickly led to an increase in Fledglink users. Ellie engaged with potential partners to ensure the app could reach even more young people during this difficult time, and Speakers for Schools was the perfect fit.

Speakers for Schools and Fledglink both want to see young people across the UK thrive and broaden their horizons; a combination of work experience, careers advice and early career opportunities are all fundamental to delivering that to the next generation.

The Fledglink services and app will continue to grow under the stewardship of Speakers for Schools. Speakers for Schools works with over 700 leading employers, including Google, Spotify, The Bank of England, Disney, L’Oreal, PwC, Virgin Atlantic and the NHS and this huge network of employers will bring greater content and opportunity to the Fledglink app.

Ellie Yell, Founder of Fledglink says:

“I’m proud to pass Fledglink over to the youth social mobility charity, Speakers for Schools whose mission aligns with Fledglink’s. As the pandemic’s impact sets in, Fledglink’s offer to young people is needed more than ever. I’m excited for the next chapter in Fledglink’s journey.”

Jason Elsom, Chief Executive Officer of Speakers for Schools, said:

“I am delighted to announce that Fledglink is joining the Speakers for Schools family. Ellie and the team have created something that is crucial for all young people as they prepare to leave full-time education. As a scaling youth social mobility charity, Speakers for Schools is well placed to continue and grow Fledglink to help young people find their pathway.”

Andrew Law, Chair of Speakers for Schools, added:

“I am delighted to welcome Fledglink into the Speakers for Schools family. Providing careers support and advice to young people ahead of the crucial step of leaving full-time education has never been more needed. The pandemic has further raised uncertainty about the future for young people, and we must do all we can to help build a better future for the next generation.”

Robert Peston, Founder of Speakers for Schools and ITV’s Political Editor, said: 

”Fledglink is a great tool to help young people decide which of the many available paths to take when leaving school. It is a perfect fit with Speakers for Schools other activities, which are all about broadening horizons, and promoting social mobility”.