2025 Social Impact Report

Generation UK & Ireland is an employment charity running intensive bootcamp programmes to help people facing barriers access life-changing careers in tech, data, healthcare and sustainability. In 2025 the charity achieved 556 job placements — 20% more than 2024 — with 65% placement rates for completed cohorts and 84% job retention at one year. 77% of learners faced three or more barriers to employment and 71% were from ethnic minorities. New longitudinal research with ImpactEd tracked 500+ alumni, finding average annual salary increases of 17% for IT graduates, 16% for healthcare and 10% for sustainability — all matching or exceeding national benchmarks. Generation holds an Ofsted Outstanding rating across all areas. A Randomised Controlled Trial with Youth Futures Foundation is planned for 2026, alongside expanded college delivery and AI-updated curricula.

Report snapshot
556 job placements in 2025 — 20% more than 2024; 65% job placement rate for courses completed over 6 months ago; 84% job retention at one year; ~4,000 learners supported across the UK since 2019 with ~800 in 2025 Key Metric 1
77% of 2025 learners faced 3 or more barriers to employment; 71% from ethnic minorities; 35% with a disability; 47% unemployed for more than 6 months; 45% women Key Metric 2
Alumni salary progression: 17% average annual increase for IT programmes; 16% for Healthcare Assistant; 10% for Sustainability Project Officer — all matching or exceeding national industry benchmarks (ImpactEd longitudinal research, 500+ responses) Key Metric 3
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📋About

1–3 month full-time bootcamps in IT Support with Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, Data Analyst, Healthcare Assistant, Retrofit Advisor; matchmade employer interviews; 6-month post-programme pastoral and employability support; Alumni Advisory Board; delivery in partnership with Capital City College (GLA-funded); outreach and referral partner network; longitudinal alumni impact tracking

📊Key Metrics

556 job placements in 2025 — 20% more than 2024; 65% job placement rate for courses completed over 6 months ago; 84% job retention at one year; ~4,000 learners supported across the UK since 2019 with ~800 in 2025 Key Metric 1
77% of 2025 learners faced 3 or more barriers to employment; 71% from ethnic minorities; 35% with a disability; 47% unemployed for more than 6 months; 45% women Key Metric 2
Alumni salary progression: 17% average annual increase for IT programmes; 16% for Healthcare Assistant; 10% for Sustainability Project Officer — all matching or exceeding national industry benchmarks (ImpactEd longitudinal research, 500+ responses) Key Metric 3

Key Outcomes

  • Ofsted Outstanding rating achieved in summer 2024 across all areas; ~1,500 hiring employers engaged since 2019 with ~20 hiring for the first time in 2025; average starting salary £25,500 in 2025; more than 2x income uplift compared to pre-programme earnings
  • Longitudinal ImpactEd research commissioned in 2025 tracking alumni 2–5 years post-programme; alumni data collection response rates improved from 30% to 70–80% through systematic engagement; Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) with Youth Futures Foundation planned for 2026 — gold standard evidence for employment intervention
  • College delivery partnership with Capital City College supported 36 learners in 2025 (75% facing 3+ barriers), placing 21 into work at placement rates notably higher than the college's standard provision; new partnership with Energy Saving Trust creating inclusive recruitment pathway for sustainability graduates

📍Geography

UK-Wide

2024

Impact Report 2023/24

32,000+ children reached across core programmes; 20,315 children supported to access real working farms
Key Metric 1
41.8% of children in partner schools meet EVER6 Free School Meals criteria (national average 26.3%) — demonstrating focus on highest-disadvantage communities
Key Metric 2
95% of children felt farms were important after their visit (up 11% on prior year); 100% of teachers said programmes gave pupils new opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have accessed
Key Metric 3
Programmes target children least likely to access green space — particularly those in urban deprivation, with SEND, or facing other barriers to outdoor experience
2024

Impact Story 2020–2024

63 projects backed with £5 million in funding, unlocking £60 million+ in follow-on investment — £12 for every £1 given; 8 million+ children and young people engaged through funded projects
Key Metric 1
17 million+ people reached globally through expert articles co-created with insight network across 26 countries; 25,000+ people took part in 2,000+ Big Education Conversations across England since 2021
Key Metric 2
£1 million Big Education Challenge prize fund launched in 2022, backing 15 finalists and 6 award winners; 40 cross-sector experts publishing via global insight network; 35 countries holding Big Education Conversations
Key Metric 3
Early-stage backing of Frontline (2013) — now England's largest social work charity, training 2,400 social workers reaching 150,000+ families; Voice 21 (2014) — now working with 203,000 students in 852 schools; oracy embedded in cross-party education priorities
2024

Annual Report 2023/24

100,000+ children now reached through programmes — nearly doubling in one year the reach achieved in the previous five years combined; 16 new schools supported through School Transformation programme (6,303 pupils)
Key Metric 1
76 chefs from 126 schools graduated from School Chef Educator programme reaching 36,414 children daily; total income grew 46% to £1,654,185; most successful fundraising year to date raising £1,548,528
Key Metric 2
88%+ of school leaders reported pupils consuming more fruit and vegetables; 82%+ reported improvement in pupil behaviour; 65%+ reported improvement in pupil concentration; 100% of chefs satisfied or very satisfied with their job
Key Metric 3
Won BBC Food and Farming Derek Cooper Outstanding Achievement Award 2023; Survation polling found a third of parents can no longer afford school meals; gave evidence to House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee and Youth Select Committee