Twice the employment, half the NEET rate. Our White Paper shows that for thousands of young people growing up in South East London, talent isn’t the problem, access is. Urban Synergy exists to rewrite that story and tackle the rising NEET figures in London.
When professional pathways feel distant and no one in your world works in the sectors you dream about, it’s easy to believe those careers simply aren’t meant for you. Urban Synergy exists to rewrite that story. By connecting young people to real role models, meaningful work experience, and mentors who believe in their potential, the charity is transforming futures and this year’s results show just how powerful that transformation can be.
Combating the NEET crisis through mentorship
"When I first joined Urban Synergy, I didn’t even know people like me could work in finance. Now I’m a project manager in the City and I’m mentoring someone else.”
— Former Urban Synergy mentee
For too many young people, talent and ambition aren’t enough. Growing up in South East London where opportunities can feel distant and invisible, the route from classroom to career often depends on who you know, not what you’re capable of.
Urban Synergy exists to change that. And this year, the data proves that it’s working.
The charity’s 2025 Alumni Survey (sample survey) reveals that young people who took part in both mentoring and work experience through Urban Synergy are twice as likely to be in full-time employment (60%). Even more striking, just 5% of Urban Synergy alumni are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Less than half the UK average.
Across the UK, youth disengagement remains a serious challenge. One in eight young people aged 16 to 24 — almost a million in total — are not in education, employment or training (NEET), according to the latest ONS data (2025).
These figures represent thousands of young people whose potential risks being lost before it’s even realised. Against that national backdrop, Urban Synergy’s results — with just 5% of alumni NEET — stand out as truly remarkable, showing what’s possible when young people are given guidance, opportunity, and belief.
These findings show what’s possible when young people are given access to mentors, networks, and professional experience: confidence grows, horizons widen, and doors open.
Building bridges
Urban Synergy’s success is the result of a model built on real relationships and real-world exposure.
Every year, Urban Synergy brings possibility to life. Connecting young people, many without access to professional role models, to mentors and employers who help them see a future they can believe in.
For some, it starts with a single corporate insight day. For others, it’s a 1-2-1 mentoring relationship that lasts for years. Whatever the starting point, the pattern is clear: greater engagement leads to greater outcomes.
- 71% said Urban Synergy helped them with career guidance and confidence-building
- 65% gained professional work experience
- 54% developed new skills and built professional networks
- Many described their experience as “life-changing”
"No one wakes up wanting to work in insurance, but Urban Synergy opened my eyes to an entire world of possibilities," said one alumnus, now working in the insurance industry.
Reaching the young people who need it most
The impact is all the more powerful because of who Urban Synergy reaches.
- 36% of alumni come from families where neither parent attended university
- 38% were eligible for free school meals
- 25% grew up in lone-parent households
- Most come from manual or service-sector backgrounds
Urban Synergy is working with the young people who face the greatest social mobility barriers and helping them overcome them. Today, many of those same young people are thriving in sectors such as finance, technology, business services, and consulting.
Urban Synergy isn’t just opening doors. It’s helping young people walk confidently through them.
Creating stability to prevent future NEET status
For many alumni, success isn’t only about getting a job; it’s about keeping one.
Those who took part in work experience or long-term mentoring were significantly more likely to report stable employment (over six consecutive months) and to be financially self-sufficient, no longer reliant on family or benefits.
At a time when youth economic inactivity and NEET rates are creeping upward across the UK, this kind of stability stands out. Urban Synergy isn’t just helping young people find jobs, it’s helping them build futures. The confidence, skills, and networks they gain create independence that echoes far beyond the individual, lifting families and inspiring entire communities.
A community that gives back
Perhaps the most telling statistic of all is this: 89% of Urban Synergy alumni want to stay connected, many as mentors themselves.
"When I succeed, I’ll give back to the next generation because Urban Synergy believed in me first," one respondent wrote.
This growing network of alumni, mentors, and corporate partners forms a powerful socioeconomic ecosystem of role models. A living demonstration that when one young person succeeds, they lift others with them.
Scaling the impact: Reducing UK NEET rates
Urban Synergy’s ambition is bold: to support 50,000 young people by 2027.
With national NEET rates stubbornly holding at 12.8%, and higher among young adults in economically disadvantaged areas, Urban Synergy’s work provides a clear blueprint for what actually works in driving social mobility.
By giving young people early access to professional spaces, trusted mentors, and genuine career experiences, the charity is changing individual lives and helping reshape the social and economic fabric of the communities it serves.
Urban Synergy: Breaking barriers. Building bridges.
Data from Urban Synergy’s Alumni Survey (sampled 7th September 2025, 122 respondents)
Office for National Statistics (ONS), Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), UK: May 2025.
Urban Synergy seeks corporate partnerships and school partnerships to enable social mobility for more young people. For any enquiries, please Contact Us.