Be.Trustee
Since the start of Leaders in Community we’ve been developing young leaders from the community through our sponsored board apprenticeship programme.
We know that involving young people in decision-making structures benefit charities like ours in many ways. There’s growing recognition in business and governance more generally, that young people are valuable additions to companies. The young people involved with the Leaders in Community board bring experience, understanding and enthusiasm – we very much welcome their contributions.
Our apprentice programme allows young people (age 16-19) the opportunity to experience being a trustee, receive mentoring from existing board members, and gain executive skills such as ‘good chairing’ and ‘active questioning and listening.’
After completing the six-month programme graduates are encouraged to continue in governance once they leave by either taking a formal position with LiC or with one of our partners.
The programme
Our leadership training helps young people develop critical skills such as communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and teamwork. We know these skills matter not just for board members, but leaders and managers at all levels and all organisations.
We challenge young people to step out of their comfort zones. We create safe spaces to help them boost their self-confidence and self-esteem, making them more likely to take on new challenges and responsibilities.
Working with a mentor helps to show young people the importance of continuous learning and improvement, helping them learn to view challenges as opportunities for growth, fostering a mindset that is resilient and adaptable.
Challenging the Status Quo
A young person in a senior role in your organisation can challenge the way things are done and help you find new ways of working that help to avoid becoming complacent.
Inspiring the next generation of leaders
Promoting young leaders can be inspiring for other young employees in your organisation. It demonstrates that age and experience are not the only criteria for advancement and that talent, potential, and the ability to drive results matter just as much. This can foster a culture of meritocracy and motivate employees across all levels.
Offering a young person the opportunity to be part of the operations of your business at a senior level is not just about diversity in age. It’s about infusing your organisation with energy, innovation, adaptability, and new perspectives.
We help with our careful selection and support for young leaders helping to ensure the benefits are substantial for both the young person and your organisation.
By bringing together a wider array of viewpoints, age diverse teams can reduce groupthink. That can be especially useful in times of more frequent and different kinds of crises, as well as business transformation challenges and opportunities, such as sustainability and digitalisation, as age-diverse boards are consistently associated with better corporate social responsibility-related outcomes.
The value of age diversity: Companies with age diverse boards are less risky and more resilient, PwC, 2023