upReach

Who we are

Do you think that your socio-economic background should determine your career prospects?

upReach’s vision is of a society in which everybody has an equal opportunity to realise their full career potential. We help young people from less-advantaged backgrounds achieve their career potential by providing an intensive programme of support that addresses socio-economic barriers to graduate employment.

Our work is important because right now a student from a disadvantaged background who gains a first class degree from a top university is still less likely to secure an elite job than a more privileged student with a 2.2. We are an award-winning charity employer working to address this issue in partnership with employers and universities.

Building on the success of the past five years, upReach’s current partners include Aviva, Bank of America, the Civil Service Fast Stream, Coutts, Deloitte, McKinsey, Slaughter and May, PwC and EY. We also partner with universities such as Exeter, King’s College, Liverpool and Warwick to name a few.

This academic year, over 3,000 undergraduates (we call them upReach Associates) have been supported through our unique programme of application support, soft skills workshops, video forums (small group, online seminar-style sessions), mentoring and professional experience. We have recently released our 2025 Strategy, outlining ambitious plans to reach over 4000 students per year by 2025.

The charity is growing quickly, and there are opportuntiies for growth and development in all areas of our operations. It is an exciting time to join us and make a real difference to many students lives. 

To find out more about upReach and how we support our students, visit our website and read our Annual Report.