EmployabilityUK
EmployabilityUK is a Birmingham-based UK charity, founded in 2014, that delivers NCFE-endorsed employability and life-skills programmes (notably UESP and VITA) to young people aged 16–24 through partnerships with schools, colleges, and corporate CSR funders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersCoventry, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EmployabilityUK does
EmployabilityUK is a UK-registered charity (Charity Number 1159718) founded in 2014 by Diane Vernon MBE and headquartered at Grosvenor House, 11 St Paul's Square, Birmingham. It designs and delivers employability and life-skills programmes for young people aged roughly 16–24, including NEET (not in education, employment, or training) cohorts, partnering with schools, colleges, and universities across the West Midlands and increasingly nationally. The portfolio centres on the NCFE-endorsed and DofE-accredited Ultimate Employability Skills Programme (UESP), supplemented by newer offerings such as the VITA Programme and VITA Teamworks Challenge 2026 (developed with Teamworks Karting), DofE Award Provision as a licensed provider, and modular workshops (Personal Development Days, Motivation Reboot, Roots to Success, Tech Boss Challenge).
The organisation is not technology-led; its core 'platform' is a modular, NCFE-endorsed curriculum combined with a volunteer-driven delivery model that is run in person, online, and hybrid. There is no proprietary software, app, API, or AI/ML system disclosed; the principal intangible assets are the curriculum itself, the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service (2021), and senior-leader credentials (founder MBE, Chair CBE).
Revenue is generated through a combination of corporate partnerships (multi-year CSR/ESG-funded programmes with organisations such as the National Express Foundation, Coventry Building Society, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and Kagool), grants, individual donations, programme delivery fees quoted per partnership, and tiered sponsorship of National Employability Week (Supporter £995, Delivery £2,000, Headline £25,000+). Go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven: a small core team of approximately 10 people plus an extensive volunteer base reaches educational institutions and corporates through direct outreach, a website, LinkedIn, an annual National Employability Week flagship event, and earned media. Pricing is not publicly listed and is negotiated by partnership scope; the charity is currently in an active national-expansion phase (Powerful Partnerships targeting 25 cities over three years; National Employability Week scaling from a 2025 Birmingham pilot to a 2026 national rollout).
EmployabilityUK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EmployabilityUK
- Legal name
- EmployabilityUK
- Website
- https://employabilityuk.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- EmployabilityUK is a Birmingham-based UK charity, founded in 2014, that delivers NCFE-endorsed employability and life-skills programmes (notably UESP and VITA) to young people aged 16–24 through partnerships with schools, colleges, and corporate CSR funders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EmployabilityUK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Employability Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171), Employment Services (5613)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement (BPADAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ), Skills Assessment & Talent/Employability Testing Platforms (EDAFADAM)
Keywords
Where EmployabilityUK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coventry
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
EmployabilityUK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable Donations and Grants: Funding from corporate partners, charitable foundations, and individual donors to support programme delivery and operations
- Partnership Fees: Organizations pay to become partners and sponsors of National Employability Week and other programmes. Tiers include Supporter Partner (£995), Delivery Partner (£2,000), and Headline Partner (£25,000+)
- Programme Delivery: Delivery of bespoke employability programmes to educational institutions and businesses, often funded through corporate social responsibility and ESG budgets
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Supporter Partner level for National Employability Week |
| Subscription | Annual | Delivery Partner level for National Employability Week |
| Subscription | Annual | Headline Partner for National Employability Week 2026 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
EmployabilityUK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EmployabilityUK is a registered charity that designs and delivers bespoke employability and life-skills programmes to young people aged 16-24, partnering with schools, colleges, universities, and businesses. Its flagship offering is the NCFE-endorsed Ultimate Employability Skills Programme (UESP), supplemented by the VITA Programme, Duke of Edinburgh's Award Provision, Personal Development Days, and the annual National Employability Week initiative. The charity is funded through donations, grants, and corporate partnership fees.
Product overview
EmployabilityUK operates as a charity offering a portfolio of employability and life skills programmes designed to enhance youth employment outcomes. The core flagship product is the Ultimate Employability Skills Programme (UESP), which combines core modules with customizable 'wild cards' and is NCFE-endorsed and DofE accredited. This is supplemented by newer offerings including the VITA Programme and VITA Teamworks Challenge 2026 developed with Teamworks, as well as workshop modules such as Motivation Reboot, Personal Development Days, The A-Z of Super Confidence, Vision Boards, and Tech Boss Challenge. The charity also delivers the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Provision as a licensed provider and runs the annual National Employability Week™ initiative. The Powerful Partnerships programme connects businesses with educational institutions for nationwide delivery. All programmes leverage volunteer support and corporate partnerships to provide mentoring, workshops, and real-world work experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VITA: EmployabilityUK's latest employability and life-skills programme developed through collaboration with Teamworks Karting, focused on inspiring confidence, teamwork, communication and essential employability skills in young people aged 16-24.
- Ultimate Employability Skills Programme (UESP)
- Duke of Edinburgh's Award Provision (DofE)
- Powerful Partnerships
Products and services
- Ultimate Employability Skills Programme (UESP) Flagship NCFE-endorsed and DofE-accredited employability and life skills programme for young people aged 16-21+, combining core modules with customisable 'wild cards' tailored to partner needs.
- VITA Programme Latest employability and life-skills programme developed in partnership with Teamworks Karting, designed to inspire confidence, teamwork and communication skills in young people aged 16-24.
- Duke of Edinburgh's Award Provision Licensed DofE provider helping education establishments implement the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, forming an onward pathway for the Ultimate Employability Skills Programme participants.
- National Employability Week Annual week-long series of events featuring in-person and online events across skills development, career inspiration, leadership, innovation, and AI, bringing together employers, educators and policymakers.
- Powerful Partnerships Partnership programme connecting businesses with schools, colleges, universities and youth organisations to deliver employability programmes nationwide over a 3-year period, targeting 25 cities and large towns.
- Personal Development Days Full-day or multi-day programmes delivering popular modules including The A-Z of Super Confidence, Be Your Best You, CV Writing, Interview Preparation, Vision Boards, and Finance and Budgeting workshops.
- Tech Boss Challenge Programme developed in partnership with Kagool that provides young people with expert advice and hands-on experiences in technology and cybersecurity careers.
- Roots to Success Programme delivering sessions including Vision Boards and other employability skills workshops to young people from community organisations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of students rated presenters as Good or Excellent; 100% would recommend programme to others; 97% rated programme as well organised
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use EmployabilityUK
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
EmployabilityUK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
EmployabilityUK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, core and minor.
- K Khalid MahmoodsecondaryEnterprise & Partnership Board chair bringing together senior leaders from business, education and civic organisations to support charity's growth.
- Aston University Sixth FormcoreInnovation Induction Programme partnership delivering four-day sessions to 160 students. Marked beginning of exciting new partnership for post-16 student development.
- BMetsecondaryFounder Education Partner for National Employability Week 2025, helping shape the inaugural week and providing insight and expertise.
- South & City College BirminghamsecondaryFounder Education Partner for National Employability Week 2025.
- Sandwell CollegesecondaryFounder Education Partner for National Employability Week 2025.
- Solihull College & University CentresecondaryFounder Education Partner for National Employability Week 2025.
- Arden UniversitysecondaryLive business challenge partnership immersing students in real-world business scenarios, enhancing employability, teamwork, and project management skills.
- GFA ExchangesecondaryPartnership for ESG Future Growth Forum 2024, bringing together business leaders on responsible growth strategies.
- Colmore BIDminorPartnership for ESG Future Growth Forum 2024 event delivery.
- City AMminorMedia partnership for ESG Future Growth Forum 2024.
- Duke of Edinburgh's AwardcoreLicensed DofE organisation enabling learners on EmployabilityUK programmes to progress towards DofE Award with continued mentor support, fully funded by EmployabilityUK.
- Goldman SachscorePersonal Development Day partnership delivering programme to over 200 young people at Fortis Academy. Goldman Sachs volunteers join EmployabilityUK to deliver bespoke content.
- Coventry Building SocietycoreLongstanding partnership delivering award-winning employability skills programme. The programme won Business in the Community award for Education and has enabled thousands of young people to develop confidence and skills.
- National Express FoundationcoreThree-year partnership supporting over 400 young people. Foundation provides funding to enable EmployabilityUK programmes reaching young people across the region.
- KagoolcoreThriving partnership creating Tech Boss Challenge for young people interested in IT and cybersecurity. Kagool provides expert advice and hands-on experiences through the partnership.
- Birmingham City UniversitysecondaryEducation partner appearing in National Employability Week partnerships.
- West Midlands Combined AuthoritysecondaryCivic partner supporting National Employability Week and youth employability initiatives in the region.
- Birmingham City CouncilsecondaryLocal government partner for employability programmes and events.
- NCFEcoreProgramme endorsement partnership for Ultimate Employability Skills Programme, ensuring highest possible standard through educational charity recognition.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
EmployabilityUK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Catch22: Catch22 is a UK social business delivering employability, education, and social justice services across multiple programmes including youth employment. It is a larger, more diversified peer operating broader services but with significant overlap in employability training.
- The Careers & Enterprise Company: The Careers & Enterprise Company is a UK government-backed body funding careers education in schools and colleges. As the national infrastructure for Gatsby Benchmarks compliance — referenced explicitly in EmployabilityUK's value proposition — it is a key ecosystem peer.
- UK Youth: UK Youth is a national umbrella charity supporting youth organisations and works directly with young people on employability, mental health, and civic engagement. It overlaps with EmployabilityUK on youth employability outcomes but operates as a broader membership body.
Direct peers
- Speakers for Schools: Speakers for Schools connects schools with leading professionals to deliver career insights and work experience to state school students. Its employer-engagement-in-schools model directly parallels EmployabilityUK's partnerships with businesses and educational institutions.
- Movement to Work: Movement to Work is a UK employer-led coalition tackling youth unemployment through paid work placements for 16-24 year olds. It competes for the same corporate CSR funding pool and serves the same demographic as EmployabilityUK.
- Youth Employment UK: Youth Employment UK is a UK charity dedicated to tackling youth unemployment through policy, employer engagement, and the Youth Voice Census. It overlaps directly with EmployabilityUK's employer-engagement model and focus on 16-24 year olds.
- The Prince's Trust: The Prince's Trust is a UK youth charity delivering employability, education, and enterprise programmes for disadvantaged 11-30 year olds. It is the most direct peer to EmployabilityUK given overlapping mission, target demographic (NEET and disadvantaged youth), and corporate partnership model.
- Career Ready: Career Ready is a UK social mobility charity connecting employers with schools and colleges to support young people into work through mentoring, internships, and masterclasses. Its school-employer bridge model is highly comparable to EmployabilityUK's Powerful Partnerships approach.
Emerging players
- Inspiring the Future: Inspiring the Future connects volunteers from professional backgrounds with state schools for career talks. Its volunteer-from-business model closely mirrors how EmployabilityUK delivers programmes through professional volunteers.
- Social Mobility Foundation: The Social Mobility Foundation supports high-potential students from low-income backgrounds through mentoring, internships, and university access programmes. Its mission overlaps with EmployabilityUK's social mobility focus though it targets a more selective cohort.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
EmployabilityUK social profiles
Digital presenceEmployabilityUK compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
EmployabilityUK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EmployabilityUK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
EmployabilityUK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EmployabilityUK M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EmployabilityUK
What does EmployabilityUK do?
EmployabilityUK is a registered charity that designs and delivers bespoke employability and life-skills programmes to young people aged 16-24, partnering with schools, colleges, universities, and businesses. Its flagship offering is the NCFE-endorsed Ultimate Employability Skills Programme (UESP), supplemented by the VITA Programme, Duke of Edinburgh's Award Provision, Personal Development Days, and the annual National Employability Week initiative. The charity is funded through donations, grants, and corporate partnership fees.
Is EmployabilityUK a public or private company?
EmployabilityUK is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was EmployabilityUK founded?
EmployabilityUK was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is EmployabilityUK based?
EmployabilityUK is headquartered in Coventry, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does EmployabilityUK make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Charitable Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are partnership Fees and programme Delivery.
Who are EmployabilityUK's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Catch22, The Careers & Enterprise Company and UK Youth. Direct peers are Speakers for Schools, Movement to Work, Youth Employment UK, The Prince's Trust and Career Ready. Emerging players are Inspiring the Future and Social Mobility Foundation.
Does EmployabilityUK have an API?
No public API is recorded for EmployabilityUK.
What industry is EmployabilityUK in?
EmployabilityUK's product category is Youth Employability Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAKAE, Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAJ, Employment & Job Readiness Support Services. Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.