Brewin Dolphin partners with The Brokerage charity to launch mentoring programme

Wealth manager Brewin Dolphin has begun a mentoring programme as part of its charity partnership with London-based social mobility charity The Brokerage. The programme will run over summer 2021 and will see employees from the company’s 2 London offices helping less-advantaged undergraduates in the capital to develop professional skills and raise their aspirations in the world of work.

In addition to the mentoring programme, the company will also run two six-week paid internships over the summer in its research department. During the placement, the successful candidates will learn about funds, equities and investment strategy, and will each get the opportunity to complete a research project. Both the mentoring programme and the internship placements proved popular, attracting several applications.

The Brokerage is a social mobility charity that works with both young people and employers to drive positive change in the workplace, whereby young people have equal access to opportunities irrespective of background or race, and employers are helped to create diverse workplaces and an inclusive culture.

Now in its 25th year, The Brokerage has seen 83,000 young people take part in its programmes of which 92% of placed students were from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, and 51% were female. It recently launched its ‘Opening Doors 2021’ manifesto, which examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the future prospects of less advantaged young people and makes recommendations for employers to ensure that they are not held back during the recovery. Brewin Dolphin has joined nine other corporates in supporting the broad aims of the manifesto.

Caroline Lake, head of diversity, inclusion & wellbeing at Brewin Dolphin, said: “At Brewin Dolphin we are striving to create a workplace that is welcoming and inclusive for everyone. We’ve worked closely with The Brokerage over the last year and we have seen how the young people they work with are talented and have the potential to add real value to any business.”

She added: “I’m delighted that we have begun our first mentoring programme and will host paid interns over the summer, as we develop our partnership. The Brokerage’s partnership model has enabled us to learn from their young people about their aspirations, challenges and what we can do to become a more accessible employer to young people from all backgrounds. This continues to provide invaluable insights. As we work towards recovery from the pandemic, it is vital that businesses take steps to ensure that less advantaged young people are not left behind.”

Katerina Rüdiger, CEO at The Brokerage, said: “The past year has been challenging for everyone but as one of our most committed corporate partners, we know that Brewin Dolphin are serious about tackling social mobility and creating a workplace that is inclusive. We’re proud to work with them and the mentoring programme and summer placements will provide tangible opportunities for our talented young people to develop knowledge and experience that will stand them in good stead for the future.

“For too long young people from less-advantaged backgrounds have faced extra challenges when trying to access high level professional careers and those from ethnic minorities face double the challenges. The majority of young people we work with are incredibly concerned about the impact of the pandemic on their futures but programmes like the one we are partnering with Brewin Dolphin on help to open doors to the next generation and should be an example to others.”