I graduated with a master’s degree from LSE in 2019 and am now working in the Fintech sector. I joined MoU as I wanted to be part of this work to increase employment rates for young Black men. As a Black data scientist, I understand the nuances and people behind the statistics. I want to combine my experience of navigating higher education and employment with the nuanced understanding of data, to create actionable steps to raising skilled employment levels in young Black men.

I graduated a few years ago with a Master’s in Postcolonial Culture and Global Policy and am currently working part-time. I am a free artist who centres Black people/People of Colour voices in my work. I also work for a music charity. As a Black person living in Britain, I know the types of hardships that others from this and similar communities have had to face. I feel that we need to continue on the legacy of love, care and community to elevate the voices of those from marginalised communities, especially the voices of young Black men – which is why I became an Ambassador.

I graduated in July with a Bachelor’s in Economics and am currently working within the Financial Sector. As a Young Black man working within Vulnerability, I am looking to understand how to identify/promote positive solutions for disadvantaged individuals and believe I can incorporate those experiences with the ones affecting me and the community. I aim to combine my experiences of navigating employment with my experiences in higher education to influence, learn from, and support initiatives which aim to improve job quality and retainment for young Black individuals. 

I am a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) in a secondary school. I graduated with a degree in in Biomedical Science and a master’s in Pharmacology but found it difficult to get a job in this field. Going through the education system, not a lot of young Black men have the opportunities to get into the field they want to – even with a master’s qualification. I became an Ambassador to change this.

I am a 24-year-old graduate with a bachelor’s Degree in English Literature with Creative Writing. Currently, I am working in a school’s sports and theatre department part-time with hopes of transitioning into a new career field. Doing work of any kind where I can help Black people in practical and beneficial ways has always been at the forefront of my praxis, and is something I believe is paramount if we are to structurally change the ways we are impoverished by the systems we inhabit.      

I decided not to go to university as I felt it was not the right path for me. As I was much better at practical learning, an apprenticeship would give me the opportunity to earn and train. However, I started an apprenticeship but didn’t complete it, as it wasn’t the right place for me. Finding a job after was challenging. I got a job through MoU phase 1 and felt MoU was needed. At 20, I didn’t recognise how serious unemployment rates were for young Black men. I could have fallen off the right path onto the wrong one but am stable now thanks to MoU – and I want others to benefit too.

I am 17 years old and at the moment I am doing A-Levels. I currently study Economics, Politics and History. In the future, I would love to study Politics and then go on to join the Civil Service to be a pioneer for more young Black men to join this sector. I became a Moving on Up Ambassador because as a young Black man myself, I have felt the effects of unemployment. I am glad this project works to lower the unemployment rate for people like myself.

Having been rejected on a number of occasions, even though my CV is better than my white peers who are able to get the same jobs I have been rejected for, I want to help bridge this gap and try to make a change so that in the future, young Black men do not need to go through as many struggles as I did. 

I am 18 years old and have recently finished Sixth Form where I studied Biology, Chemistry and Business Studies. I am about to embark on an apprenticeship with KPMG. During my time in Sixth Form, I took the initiative to explore my career options after previously wanting to do Medicine. During my final year I was able to attend events and gain work experience at prestigious institutions such as banks and top 10 accounting firms. The exposure I gained from these events helped me develop professionally which helped me land my role at a ‘Big 4’ firm.

The opportunities given to me motivated me to help others so I started a small society within my Sixth Form about finance and business with friends with similar interests. In this society we gave tips on different roles in finance and application knowledge. I believe being a Moving on Up ambassador will give me the opportunity help other young Black men like myself because I can voice my learnt knowledge and provide exposure.

I am a driven and motivated individual who gained a BSc in Finance in 2016. After graduating I found it really difficult to find employment in this field to kickstart my career. I had various interviews and got rejected numerous times for different reasons, some being out of my control. I currently work as a chauffeur and run a private hire business, as well as learning about the financial markets and stocks.

I am currently reading Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. My main interests lie within the potential of emerging technologies to provide increased opportunity and freedom among disadvantaged people. I am passionate about empowering and inspiring people.

After having co-hosted the SimplestTalks Podcast for over a year, I am now working on initiatives to engage young people from minority backgrounds and increase access to higher education. I became an Ambassador to be able to link the other work I’m doing, to influence and support initiatives to help young Black men get into quality jobs.