“Thank you for your positive energy and professionalism during our mentoring sessions. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to engage with young people. The future is bright and it’s in your hands.” – Doug Aujla (DHL Air Business Mentor)

ThinkForward is a UK based charity that focuses on supporting young people in their transition from education to employment. Through personalised guidance and coaching, they support young people to develop the skills and confidence needed for the workplace.

ThinkForward’s partnership with the DHL UK Foundation creates opportunities for young people to interact with DHL such as gaining work experience, developing employability skills through mentoring and securing full-time work.

Recently, DHL employees participated in the FutureMe Business Mentoring and Making Strides Extended Recruitment programmes, both of which achieved remarkable success. These initiatives provided young individuals with valuable opportunities to network with business professionals, enhance their employability skills through CV workshops and mock interviews, and gain insights into the professional world. Through the Making Strides programme, two young adults acquired hands-on work experience, leading to securing full-time positions.

Not only are these experiences valuable for young people, but they also benefit DHL employees. It is clear the employees have grown in confidence and deepened their understanding of workplace inclusivity contributing to a great place to work. Moreover, they have improved their own skills in areas such as leadership, mentorship, and teamwork.

Business Mentoring

This year, 12 volunteers from DHL Express, Air and Hubs & Gateway supported the Business Mentoring Programme.  It prepares young people for the world of work by giving them the chance to experience the workplace and receive support from business mentors. During the six-week programme, the DHL mentors supported 10 students from a school based in Nottingham.

With the guidance of their mentors, the programme helped the young individuals to build their confidence in a professional environment while enhancing their communication skills with industry experts. The mentees were encouraged to reflect on their unique skills and qualities, establish both short-term and long-term goals, and develop actionable plans to achieve them. Additionally, they crafted polished CVs and engaged in mock interviews to prepare for real-world opportunities.

A ThinkForward coach who works closely with the young people shared: “From day one, the support from DHL staff has been phenomenal. Whether it was helping students build confidence in how they communicate, guiding them through CV writing, or offering invaluable tips during mock interviews, every mentor showed up with kindness, patience and a genuine desire to help our young people grow.

What made this partnership so special was how human it felt, students weren’t just being “taught”, they were being heard, encouraged and believed in.”

A student said: “Before the mentoring, I wasn’t sure where I fit in the world of business, but after all six sessions, I feel more confident about my future. My mentor really believed in me and helped me see my potential. I’ve learned so much and I’m proud of how far I’ve come.”

Making Strides

The DHL UK Foundation have also been privileged to be a part of ThinkForward’s Making Strides programme. Making Strides supports young adults (aged 16-25) with learning disabilities and/or autism who are NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) or at risk of being NEET, to support them into employment. The programme introduced these young people to DHL through an Extended Recruitment Programme, involving a three-week work placement where young adults can gain valuable experience, support and potentially secure employment at the end.

DHL Express have recently completed a work placement with young adults, David and Jaden, at the Docklands site. This was an incredibly positive experience leading to both of them landing full-time positions through an employment agency as Warehouse Operatives.

Docklands Service Centre Manager, Lenny Kemp, who oversaw the programme, shared about the experience: “During the programme I have been impressed by how young adults, who face challenges, have integrated into my team. At the start of the programme, I had my doubts but both Jaden and David have inspired me to want to do something like this again. During the journey we have been on, I have personally learnt a great deal. I have learnt not to judge a book by its cover and that there are people out there capable of working in an environment like this that may not always have the confidence or access to.”

Operations Agent, Harun Alam, who supported David and Jaden as their work ‘buddy’ goes on to say: “Both David and Jaden have demonstrated remarkable courage and a willingness to embrace challenges. They have consistently acquired new knowledge and skills with remarkable ease. It fills me with immense pride to have them as integral members of our team.”

Both young adults have grown their skills and confidence during the programme. David shared: “I have learnt a variety of different things – how to work in a fast-paced environment, working under pressure and also how to adapt when things don’t go your way. My advice to other young adults starting a placement is to be humble, be on time and have the mindset of ‘I always want to learn more.’ This opportunity means a lot to me, I will be able to support my family and gain some new experience and an understanding of a new industry. My experience here has been amazing, I want to say thank you to all the managers and members of staff at DHL Docklands, thank you very much.” 

Finally, the Business Partnerships Manager from ThinkForward commented: “I continue to be proud of all of the young people that we work with at ThinkForward. David and Jaden have made us at ThinkForward proud, and I hope that they are proud of themselves too. A massive thank you to the sensational team at DHL Docklands; Lenny, Rimshaw and Harun, for your phenomenal work and support. It is brilliant to know that we have advocates like yourselves.”

To conclude, we want to express our gratitude to the DHL employees that have supported the Making Strides Programme with such passion and enthusiasm that has led to this brilliant outcome. A huge well done to David and Jaden for their commitment to the placement and positive feedback!

The DHL UK Foundation look forward to creating more impact through our partnership with ThinkForward.

The DHL UK Foundation offer a variety of programmes that aim to support young people. If you would like to support young people through GoTeach, please submit your details via our form.