Leadership Development, Lifelong Success

We unlock the academic, career and leadership potential of young people from marginalised communities and help employers build meaningful long-term relationships with future talent.

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Connecting employers to diverse future talent

About Us

Diverse Leaders Network (DLN) is dedicated to unlocking the full academic, career and leadership potential of young people aged 7-19 from marginalised backgrounds. DLN has developed the leadership skills of over 10,000 learners and has become a trusted partner in early engagement, helping employers forge meaningful long-term relationships with future talent to drive diversity and skills within their organisation and industry.

Founded in 2014 by two teachers, we partner with STEAM-based industries to provide an all-age leadership and careers curriculum designed to overcome three identified barriers that contribute to a lack of social mobility in the UK: poor careers awareness, poor employment and leadership abilities, and a lack of access to work-related opportunities.

Our Approach

In today's rapidly evolving world, young people, especially those from marginalised communities, are more likely to be unaware of non-stereotypical jobs and career pathways, hold limiting beliefs that stop them from reaching their full potential, and lack access to professional networks and opportunities. We address these barriers early to ensure that no child is left behind.

Careers Awareness

We showcase diverse leaders and employers to thousands of young people aged 7-19 through inspiring awareness videos and industry masterclasses.

Leadership Abilities

We help employers deliver high-impact early careers engagement programmes designed to develop employability and leadership skills for young people of all ages and abilities.

Work-related Access

We provide employers with access to our early careers engagement platform connecting young people aged 7-19 to work-related experiences, content and events.

Starting Early Matters

By engaging with students from an early age, we can plant the seeds of ambition,resilience, and self-confidence that will serve them throughout their lives. Here'swhy working with students early is not just beneficial but essential.

36%

of children base their career aspirations on people they know.

1%

Less than 1% of children have beeninformed about career optionsthrough employer school visits.

7

stereotypes about careers, ethnicity, gender and class beginto form in children as young as 7.

1/3

Over 1/3 of 15-16 year olds have interests that are focused only on 10 jobs.

Why Diverse Leaders Network?

For Employers

We help employers build meaningful long-term relationships with future talent to drive diversity and skills within the organisation and industry as well as supporting employers to create social value that impacts their local communities.

For Schools

We help primary and secondary schools meet their careers education targets and improve student outcomes by providing young people, aged 7-19, with meaningful and age-appropriate early careers engagement opportunities and leadership development.

For Inspiring Leaders

We help leaders utilise their skills, knowledge and experience by providing individuals with meaningful opportunities to support the leadership and careers development of young people, aged 7-19 from all backgrounds.

For Young People

Finding work-related experiences doesn’t have to be difficult. Our Job and Opportunities Board for young people aged 7-19 provides unparalleled ACCESS to pre-19 work-related experiences.

"a unique way to develop leadership skills"

"It has been an incredibly positive and unique way for our staff to develop their leadership skills, enhance their inclusive behaviours and gain different perspectives by working with (and learning from) young people from diverse backgrounds in our communities. Many mentors commented that they felt as if they were being mentored, not the other way around. The impact on everyone involved has been profound!"

Social Sustainability Manager

Landsec

"We are very pleased with DLN"

"We are very pleased with Diverse Leaders Network. It's been a great opportunity for our students to learn leadership skills and apply them in their lives. Leadership Education should be part of the curriculum. It is as important as Science, Maths, and English."

Headteacher

Townley Grammar School

"Highly recommend this"

“I have never taken part in something like this before and this experience will stay with me for a long time. This mentoring programme has made me feel more courageous and sure about my future, as this was something that I was struggling with and didn't have a clear idea about. I would recommend this to others.”

Student

St. Saviours & St. Olave's School