The Talent Foundry

15/05/2026

Improving efficiency with technology 🧡

Shout out to our partner SAS for delivering an insightful and engaging AI training session for our team yesterday.

We explored how tools like Microsoft Copilot can help us increase our productivity with everyday tasks (and give us handy holiday and restaurant recommendations!) and had some interesting discussions about the ethical implications of using AI.

From finding and comparing information, to drafting and refining content, summarising large documents, and creating plans and images, we had a deep dive into how we can work more effectively within Microsoft Office.

The session was great fun - huge thanks to Simon Arnold and Joanna Nawalany for their excellent delivery - and demonstrated the practical value of AI in action, giving our team both the confidence and capability to start applying AI more thoughtfully in our day-to-day work.

Thank you again to SAS for your expertise and support!

13/05/2026

Volunteer for Big Ideas at Warwick 🧡

Big Ideas at Warwick is a fun and interactive workshop allowing students to take on the role of a new social enterprise company for the day. If you’d like the chance to support young people from under-served communities while they develop and pitch a new product idea tackling a social issues, this is your chance.

You’d be helping to spark ambition and inspire young people, providing meaningful exposure to the workplace and supporting skills development. If you’re based in Warwick and would like the opportunity to be a role model and highlight the breadth of opportunities in your industry, follow the link below.

📅Date: 2 & 4 June
🕥Time 10:00-14:00
🏛️Place: University of Warwick

Don’t miss out on this chance to support social mobility and open doors for young people!

🔗Sign up here: https://zurl.co/rSWor

12/05/2026

Congratulations to our cycling champions! 🧡

Last Friday, 74 riders from the built environment and the Department for Education completed the Manchester to Blackpool Cycle Challenge, raising over £19,000. We couldn’t be more grateful for their backing of our social mobility mission.

Their incredible efforts will help us to support more young people from under-served communities, broadening horizons and sparking ambition. Our vision is to open doors for young people, helping them make informed, confident decisions about their futures – which is made possible by events like these.

Thanks to the teachers from Star Radcliffe Academy who took on the challenge, and our riders from A&B Engineering, AHR Architects, Ameon Limited, BROKEN COLOUR DECORATORS LIMITED, Clancy Consulting, David Miller Architects, dbe-services, Falcon Tower Crane Services Ltd, Harley Haddow, JM Architects, Lucion Delta-Simons Ltd, Pagabo, Rhodar Specialist Enabling Works, Stantec and WSP.

Huge thanks go to our sponsors and riders from Morgan Sindall Construction, Arcadis, and Mott MacDonald. We’re proud of our partnership and cycling efforts – all of which are helping build a fairer future. Thanks AllGood Cycling for event management and for taking care of us on the road.

Thank you so much to all the riders for their passion, resilience and support – hopefully everyone managed to put their feet up over the weekend.

08/05/2026

Good luck to our fundraising heroes! 🍀

Today, we have 74 incredible cyclists from the built environment sector and the Department for Education taking on the Manchester to Blackpool Cycle Challenge, riding through the stunning Lancashire hills and wrapping up at the iconic Blackpool Tower.

An incredible convoy of riders are tackling two routes, including teachers from Star Radcliffe Academy: Courteney Csomor, Lisa Antrobus, Natalie Lucas, Josh Hayes and Lee Woods. Arcadis’ very own Matt Pickering is tackling the challenge his own way.

Huge thanks go to our sponsors Morgan Sindall Construction, Arcadis, and Mott MacDonald. We couldn’t be more grateful for your support, which enables us to provide opportunities for young people from under-served communities to connect with the world of work and broaden their horizons, dreaming big and building a better future.

We’re also thankful to our other built environment partners forming the peloton: A&B Engineering, AHR Architects, Ameon Limited, BROKEN COLOUR DECORATORS LIMITED, Clancy Consulting, David Miller Architects, dbe-services Falcon Tower Crane Services Ltd, Harley Haddow, JM Architects, Lucion Delta-Simons Ltd, Pagabo Rhodar Specialist Enabling Works, Stantec and WSP.

Make sure to cheer on the cycling team on today as they pedal for social mobility!

🔗Support the team here: https://zurl.co/3MSa3

An all-abilities, friendly group cycle from Manchester to Blackpool raising funds to support young people from under-served communities in discovering their potential. Event sponsored by Morgan Sindall Construction, Arcadis, and Mott MacDonald.

06/05/2026

Don't miss out on the TCS London Marathon 2027 💥

Is your social media feed still full of pictures from this year’s London Marathon? Perhaps you are feeling left out of the marathon hype having watched friends and family take on the challenge? Did the marathon surface as a key topic of conversation around the barbecue this bank holiday?

The TCS London Marathon officially broke the Guinness World Record for the largest number of finishers in a marathon, with an incredible 59,830 runners crossing the Finish Line. Could you be one of the finishers next year?

Let’s be honest, with 1.33 million people in the ballot for the 2027 race, the chances of getting a place are slim... If you missed out, don’t worry - if you want to give the race a go next year in the name of social mobility, you can sign up for one of our spots.

We have four spots available and will offer spaces based on the strength of applications received. Please provide as much detail as possible. Registration closes 31 August 2026.

🔗Apply here https://zurl.co/gJl6O

05/05/2026

Pedalling for social mobility 🚲

Not only is this week UK Construction Week, but it’s also the week that our fundraising heroes from the built environment sector and the Department for Education are taking on the Manchester to Blackpool Cycle Challenge.

This Friday 8 May, 78 cyclists will be tackling two routes, either the 47-mile beginner-friendly route or the expert 70-mile route, riding through the stunning Lancashire hills and wrapping up at the iconic Blackpool Tower.

The event celebrates a shared dedication to building a fairer future and helping young people in under-served communities to access opportunities, build skills and grow in confidence.

Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors Morgan Sindall Construction, Arcadis, and Mott MacDonald for making this event possible and for championing equal opportunities and inspiring the next generation through education and collaboration.

Make sure to cheer them on this Friday!

🔗Find out more on our website: https://zurl.co/ziFx9
🔗Support the team here: https://zurl.co/URJH1

29/04/2026

Place and social mobility 💥

Place continues to play a significant role in inequality. Where a young person grows up still shapes what they can access and dream of becoming. Social mobility outcomes UK-wide remain deeply uneven, a rift which becomes critical at the transition from education into employment, further education or training.

A place-based approach to tackling inequality can help young people to overcome structural and geographical barriers. Social mobility mean ensuring that all young people, no matter their background or location, have access to sustainable routes into education and employment.

By shifting from top-down models to community and asset-based approaches, accountability can sit where change actually happens, making pathways visible, relevant and achievable. With education and employers in alignment, place can become a strength, turning regional disparities into opportunities.

🔗Read more about our place-based programmes here: https://zurl.co/bTlsR

28/04/2026

New partnership announcement💥

We’re excited to be partnering with CWG and East End Community Foundation to launch a new initiative for talented young people in East London through the Canary Wharf Group Community Grants programme.

Too often, students growing up in Tower Hamlets aren’t aware of the opportunities right on their doorstep in Canary Wharf. We’re here to change that. We want every young person to see Canary Wharf as a place where they belong – somewhere full of opportunity and where they can succeed.

Our Thrive in Tower Hamlets programme will work with students from Mulberry Academy Shoreditch, combining in-school sessions with visits to the Canary Wharf Group office. The programme will provide meaningful exposure to the world of work and build confidence, bridging the gap between education and the workplace.

Thrive will equip students with key skills such as communication, teamwork, and resilience, while building the ambition and networks to shape their futures.

Through challenging perceptions of careers in Canary Wharf, Thrive will ensure that no young person’s potential is limited by their postcode.

🔗Find out more about our programmes here: https://zurl.co/vv9s0

27/04/2026

Congratulations to our TCS London Marathon Events 2026 runners! 💥

A huge congratulations to Pedro Domingues, Avanade’s Global Analyst Relations Lead at Accenture, Robert Jones, Account Executive at SAS and Stuart Forrest, Account Executive at Dell Technologies who all completed the TCS London Marathon 2026 yesterday.

We’re so proud of their achievement and commitment to supporting our social mobility mission. Congratulations to everyone who took part on what was a record-breaking year. Hopefully everyone is now firmly attached to their sofas with their feet up.

Don’t get too comfortable though… If you’re already keen to get involved next year, the ballot is now open until this Friday at 16:00! Head to the London Marathon website to enter.

If the ballot luck is not on your side, you can still run to support under-served young people by registering for one of our four spots. We offer the spaces based on the strength of applications received. Please provide as much detail as possible. Registration closes on 31 August 2026.

🔗Sign up here: https://zurl.co/hijAn

26/04/2026

Good luck to our TCS London Marathon 2026 runners!

Today, we have three incredible athletes taking on 26.2 miles in support of our mission. Pedro Domingues, Avanade’s Global Analyst Relations Lead at Accenture, Robert Jones, Account Executive at SAS and Stuart Forrest, Account Executive at Dell Technologies are all taking on the challenge of the TCS London Marathon, wearing bright orange shirts and shouting all about The Talent Foundry.

Training for this marathon has been a journey, but they’ve kept their reason for running close to their hearts each step of the way: building a fairer future. For too many young people, socio-economic background still defines access to opportunity. We’re here to change that.

We couldn’t be prouder of their commitment to social mobility. Ensuring that no young person’s postcode limits their potential is central to our vision of sparking ambition and unlocking opportunity. We’re so grateful to Pedro, Rob and Stu for crossing the line for us today.

We’ll be cheering loudly from the sidelines – and hope to hear your voices supporting them too!

🔗Support Rob here: https://zurl.co/NMM4Y
🔗Support Pedro here: https://zurl.co/2QqsT
🔗Support Stu here: https://zurl.co/3FY9V

23/04/2026

Celebrating International Girls in ICT Day 💥

April 23 is International Girls in ICT Day, a global initiative inspiring girls and young women to explore careers in STEM and ICT. It celebrates digital inclusion and equity, helping to create a future where every young woman has the opportunity and support to become a leader in the digital world.

This year’s theme, “AI for Development: Girls shaping the digital future,” is close to our heart. Our work bridges the gap between education and the world of work, equipping young people – especially young women – with the skills needed for a fast-changing digital economy. We support them to use, build and govern technology, and shape how it evolves.

Our programmes with SAS, including our Future Analysts and Better Futures, provide young women with a supportive environment in which to develop key digital skills. Participants gain hands-on experience using bespoke SAS software, building confidence and expanding horizons as they prepare for careers in data analytics, artificial intelligence and technology.

Many of our workshops help improve understanding of AI and provide opportunities to network with professionals working in STEM and ICT. Students develop transferable skills, explore how data analytics is applied across sectors and work directly with data, covering concepts such as crowdsourcing and comparative analysis.

🔗Find out more about our programmes: https://zurl.co/2NIqI