Linklaters encourages City businesses to join We Can Be 2025 

Every year The Lord Mayor’s Appeal invites young people to gain an exclusive glimpse into some of its most prominent businesses. Part of its aim to create A Better City For All, We Can Be is an annual initiative that matches corporates and schools for a day. 

For the young women, it’s a chance to see themselves in City careers; for the businesses – which have included Schroders, Janus Henderson and Standard Chartered Bank – it is an opportunity to shape a future workforce. 

Florrie Engleback, Community Education Consultant at Linklaters tells us why City businesses should sign up to We Can Be 2025. 

Tell us about your We Can Be 2024 experience? 

We hosted students from Westbourne Academy in Ipswich. Our focus was to introduce them to careers in the city and show them what it is like to work at a big firm like ours. 

The students met a range of professionals working at Linklaters through a speed networking event, sharing about their job roles, career paths and how they got to where they are now.  Once they had gotten to know each other, they worked in groups on an oral challenge and were asked to devise a new strategy to pitch to the firm. 

Our final exercise was an engaging group discussion with a focus on women’s experiences in the workplace. The students were guided through each point by our volunteers at Linklaters in groups, then conclusions were discussed openly across the room. 

We have been hosting students for We Can Be for several years. There are always some slight nerves, as coming into a building like this can be slightly daunting, but I’m always so impressed with the questions the young women ask and how well prepared they are. 

Why do you think We Can Be is so important? 

For many, a career in the corporate sector is quite a daunting one. This is something that we want to address and a stereotype we are keen to break down and show that the City can be a very welcoming environment for young people and that there are plenty of opportunities to thrive. 

What do you think the young women take away from this experience? 

That taking part in We Can Be is incredibly valuable. It’s an opportunity for students and volunteers to really step out of their comfort zone, meet a range of people from different backgrounds and understand truly what life is like in the working world. 

Do you feel an initiative like We Can Be would have helped you? 

When I was growing up, careers education was limited at school, and even into higher education. I was always quite unsure as to what I wanted to do and how I wanted to get there. If I’d been exposed to professionals in a corporate setting, I might have had more direction. These kinds of events are incredibly important because it helps you scope out what interests you and how you might progress to turn that interest into a future. 

To watch the We Can Be: A Supporter video visit: https://youtu.be/HMPNr28WV38

To find out more about the We Can Be 2025 visit: https://www.thelordmayorsappeal.org/initiatives/a-skilled-city/