Foresters Financial: A partnership with a shared ambition to address the barriers and bring new perspectives
30 Years. 30 Stories.
Foresters Financial: A partnership with a shared ambition; to address the barriers and bring new perspectives
How a partnership with The Brokerage is helping Foresters Financial widen access to careers in financial services, develop its future talent pipeline and create meaningful opportunities for its people to make a difference.
Building a more inclusive workforce
Building a more inclusive workforce starts with making career opportunities accessible to people who might otherwise never discover them. For Foresters Financial, its partnership with The Brokerage is demonstrating how investing in young people can deliver benefits for individuals, employees and the business itself.
In its first year, the partnership has already had an incrediable start - creating routes into the workplace through work experience, internships and recruitment, while giving Foresters colleagues opportunities to share their knowledge, support young people and learn from a new generation of talent.
The results are already tangible. But beyond the numbers, the partnership is showing what can happen when employers look beyond traditional recruitment routes and recognise the contribution young people from a wide range of backgrounds can make.
Foresters Financial is an example of what a forward-thinking partnership can achieve when working with The Brokerage
A shared commitment to opportunity
Foresters Financial is an international financial services provider with a history dating back to 1874, when it set out to provide access to life insurance for working families. Its mission to promote the financial wellbeing of everyday families and their communities makes creating opportunities for young people a natural fit.
The organisation first heard about The Brokerage through its CEO, who learned about the partnership from a company already working with the charity. What stood out was the combination of social impact and a practical approach to attracting new talent.
Foresters was particularly impressed by The Brokerage’s national reach, its relationships with schools and the opportunity to draw on employees’ time and expertise to help young people develop their skills, confidence and understanding of the world of work.
The partnership was built around a shared ambition: to address the barriers that can prevent talented young people from accessing professional networks, workplace experience and career guidance, while helping Foresters connect with people who could bring new perspectives to its business.
As Philip Vickers, Chief People Officer at Foresters Financial, explains:
“Building a diverse workforce starts with creating access to opportunity. Our partnership with The Brokerage helps us connect with talented young people from a wide range of backgrounds who may not otherwise have exposure to careers in financial services.”
The impact in numbers
In its first year, the partnership has already delivered:
1 work experience programme, giving young people insight into the workplace.
2 internships, across Operations and Marketing.
3 in-person events hosted at Foresters Financial’s offices.
9 Brokerage events supported by Foresters colleagues in total.
8 Talent Network candidates placed with Foresters.
27 volunteers sharing their time, knowledge and professional experience.
176 young people from The Brokerage’s Talent Network benefiting from connections with Foresters.
Together, these figures represent more than individual activities. They show a partnership creating multiple ways for young people to explore careers, build relationships and gain experience — while helping an employer connect with talent it might not otherwise have reached.
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Events that make careers more accessible
A key part of the partnership has been bringing young people and professionals together, making the world of work more tangible and giving participants opportunities to ask questions, build confidence and explore their options.
Foresters colleagues have contributed to nine Brokerage events, including three hosted in person at the company’s offices. Across the partnership, activities have included:
Mentoring and micro-mentoring: giving young people the chance to learn directly from professionals, ask questions and gain insight into different career paths.
Employability workshops: helping participants develop the skills and confidence needed to navigate recruitment and the workplace.
Mock interviews: offering practical experience of recruitment conversations and an opportunity to build interview confidence.
Financial education workshops: helping young people strengthen their understanding of money and financial wellbeing.
Work experience: providing an introduction to the workplace and the opportunity to learn through first-hand experience.
Internships: giving young people more sustained exposure to professional roles, workplace expectations and potential career pathways.
These activities create opportunities that go beyond simply telling young people about careers. They allow them to meet the people doing those jobs, understand what different roles involve and begin to picture themselves in environments they may previously have felt were out of reach.
For Foresters employees, the events also provide a valuable opportunity to share their experience and see the difference their knowledge can make.
When young people change perspectives
One of the most memorable moments of the partnership came when a Foresters colleague shared how inspired she had been by the confidence of the work experience students presenting to staff. Their presentation made such an impression that she decided to commit to taking on more public-speaking opportunities in her own role.
It is a small but telling example of the impact that can emerge when young people are given the opportunity to contribute, rather than simply observe.
Foresters has also seen the ambition, talent and confidence of young people shine through when they lead focus groups, present to colleagues and share their perspectives on issues that matter to their generation.
As the organisation reflects:
“Whether it's leading focus groups, presenting to colleagues or sharing their perspectives on issues that matter to their generation, they consistently bring fresh thinking and energy to Foresters.”
The experience challenges assumptions about who has something valuable to offer in a professional environment. Young people gain exposure and experience; employers gain fresh ideas, different perspectives and the opportunity to recognise talent in new places.
Supporting social mobility — and strengthening the organisation
For Foresters, the value of the partnership extends beyond helping individual young people access opportunities. It is also contributing to the organisation’s approach to talent, workforce development and inclusion.
By engaging with young people earlier in their careers and broadening its talent pipeline, Foresters is creating opportunities to discover people whose skills and potential may not be visible through traditional recruitment routes alone.
Philip Vickers puts it simply:
“By broadening our talent pipeline and engaging with future generations early in their careers, we're not only supporting social mobility, we're also strengthening our organisation through new perspectives, ideas and experiences.”
This is the two-way impact at the heart of the partnership. Young people gain access to professional networks, experience and guidance. Foresters benefits from engaging with emerging talent, while its colleagues develop their own skills through volunteering and learning from people with different experiences and perspectives.
The partnership also supports Foresters’ wider commitment to financial wellbeing and community impact, connecting the skills of its employees with young people who can benefit from their knowledge.
Volunteering that makes a difference
The commitment of Foresters colleagues has been central to the partnership’s early success. So far, 27 volunteers have contributed their time and experience, helping young people develop their employability skills, explore careers and build confidence.
Clare Jenkinson, Head of Sustainability & Social Impact at Foresters Financial, describes the value this brings to employees as well as participants:
“One of the things I hear most often from colleagues is how much they enjoy volunteering with The Brokerage. Whether they're taking part in micro-mentoring, speaking on career panels or supporting employability events, it's often described as the best part of their day.”
She continues:
“It's a simple but powerful way for our people to share their experience and expertise while making a genuine difference to young people's confidence and career aspirations.”
Meaningful volunteering creates a connection between the workplace and the next generation. It gives employees the chance to reflect on their own experience, share knowledge that might otherwise be taken for granted and contribute to a young person’s understanding of what is possible.
Foresters also recognises the personal and professional development that comes from these experiences, making the partnership valuable to colleagues as well as the young people they support.
Looking ahead
Foresters Financial’s first year with The Brokerage has established a strong foundation: practical work experience, internships, recruitment opportunities, events and a growing network of colleagues committed to supporting young people.
The organisation is clear about the value of the relationship. The Brokerage provides access to high-quality programmes, talented young people and meaningful volunteering opportunities bringing benefits to participants, employees and the business.
For The Brokerage, partnerships like this are essential to making professional careers more accessible. They turn a shared commitment to social mobility into practical opportunities, connecting young people with the experience, relationships and support that can help them take their next steps.
As we celebrate 30 Years. 30 Stories., Foresters Financial is an example of what a forward-thinking partnership can achieve when employers recognise that widening access to talent is not separate from building a stronger organisation. It can be part of the same ambition.
Thank you to Philip, Clare and everyone at Foresters Financial who has contributed their time, expertise and support during the first year of our partnership.
Here's to opening more doors — and creating even more opportunities together.
If you're a company looking for support, guidance and expert experience on bringing early career talent into your workplace - talk to The Brokerage:
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