NXT Leaders · An Innergate UK initiative
Reconnecting young people to opportunity. Unlocking potential. Building futures.
NXT Leaders helps young people — particularly those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), or who are at risk of becoming NEET — find meaningful pathways back into learning, work and purposeful participation.
Why we exist
Too many young people are disconnected from opportunity.
Too many young people face barriers that disconnect them from education, employment, training and the networks that could help them build a future. Some lack direction or confidence. Others have potential and ambition but limited access to experience, mentoring, employers or opportunities to demonstrate what they can do.
NXT Leaders exists to help change that.
Our approach goes beyond providing training or pointing young people towards vacancies. We want to connect them to the people, resources, experiences and opportunities that can help them progress — moving from disconnection to participation, from potential to experience, and from experience to opportunity.
More than a destination — a pathway forward. Young people need opportunities to discover their strengths, develop their capabilities, build relationships and take practical steps towards their goals.
Our approach brings together leadership development, career exploration, mentoring, skills development, work experience and connections with employers, education providers, training organisations and community partners. We aim to help young people build the confidence, capabilities and connections they need to participate in education, employment and enterprise.
From disconnection to opportunity
Every young person should have a pathway forward.
We believe every young person should have a pathway forward, even when their starting point is difficult. Our approach seeks to connect young people with:
Direction and purpose
Discovering interests, strengths, aspirations and possible career pathways.
Skills and development
Accessing relevant training, digital learning, career preparation and opportunities to build confidence.
People and networks
Connecting with mentors, peers, employers, education providers and supportive organisations.
Experience and opportunity
Progressing towards college, further training, apprenticeships, work experience, employment or enterprise.
Continued progression
Building on achievements, developing new capabilities and taking the next step towards a sustainable future.
One connected journey
Through the wider NXT platform.
Through the wider NXT platform, we envision a connected journey where young people can discover opportunities, build relationships, develop their capabilities and connect with the people and organisations that can help them progress.
At risk of becoming NEET
A young person at risk of becoming NEET could explore career interests, connect with a mentor, attend a college taster session and progress towards an apprenticeship, with additional support from a partner organisation where needed.
Building a career
A young adult seeking to build a career could develop a portfolio, connect with a professional community, discover an internship and build experience that opens doors to employment beyond their immediate area.
An aspiring entrepreneur
An aspiring entrepreneur could showcase products or services through the NXT Marketplace, connect with other founders, find a mentor and develop relationships with potential customers and collaborators.
These are examples of the journeys we want to make possible as the NXT ecosystem develops.
Connecting potential to possibility
Joining up a journey that is often fragmented.
Our distinctive ambition is to connect the parts of the journey that are often fragmented.
Young people should not have to navigate every transition alone or start again each time they encounter a new service or opportunity. We want to help connect support, development, training, experience and opportunity into a clearer pathway forward.
By working with employers, colleges, training providers, community organisations and other partners, we aim to help young people access opportunities while enabling organisations to discover and develop talent that might otherwise be overlooked.
Our goal is simple: to help young people move forward, reconnect with opportunity and build futures in which they can participate, contribute and thrive.
NXT Leaders brings together leadership, personal development and economic participation. We want young people to be recognised not only for the barriers they face, but also for the strengths, ambitions and potential they carry.
Programmes, referral arrangements, placements and partnerships will be described according to what is actually available as the initiative develops.
Employer or educator?
Help create work experience, mentoring and pathways for young people.