What an extraordinary start for IndEX.

On Tuesday 22 September, 257 leaders from industry, education and government came together at the Old Bailey for the national launch of the Industry and Educators Exchange (IndEX), united by a shared ambition: to ensure every young person leaves education with Two Golden Tickets – strong academic outcomes and meaningful real-world experience.

Less than 24 hours later, more than 40,000 hours of employer engagement had already been pledged.

For everyone at London Design & Engineering UTC, the launch represented an important milestone. IndEX has grown from more than a decade of working alongside employers to embed industry into everyday learning at LDE UTC. What started here in East London is now being developed to support schools and young people across the UK.

Geoffrey Fowler, CEO and Principal of LDE UTC and founder of IndEX, said:

“The response has been extraordinary. To bring 257 people together from some of the country’s leading businesses, education organisations and government was incredible, but what matters most is what happens next.

“In less than 24 hours, more than 40,000 employer engagement hours have already been pledged.

“Those hours represent real opportunities for young people to meet professionals, understand industries, develop skills and see where their education can take them.

“Our ambition is simple: every young person should have access to employers and professional networks, regardless of their postcode, the school they attend or who their parents happen to know.”

The evening brought together representatives from organisations including Amazon, Airbus, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Intel, National Grid, Transport for London, Barclays, NatWest, Arup, Costain, Skanska, Morgan Sindall, Thames Water, Equinix, Tideway and Waymo, alongside representatives from government, education, the City of London and Livery Companies.

Most importantly, our young people and alumni were at the heart of the evening, sharing first-hand how access to employers has helped them build confidence, develop professional skills and progress into employment, university and degree apprenticeships.

Sheriff of London Deputy Keith Bottomley said:

“By connecting employers directly with education, we can help young people gain not only qualifications, but the real-world experience and confidence they need to succeed.

“IndEX has the potential to make those opportunities available to many more young people across the country.”

Thank you for helping us make it happen

We would like to thank everyone who joined us at the Old Bailey, made a pledge, shared their expertise or supported the development and launch of IndEX. The 40,000+ hours pledged are not simply a number. They represent opportunities for young people to meet professionals, understand different industries, develop new skills and see where their education could take them. Now the work begins to turn those pledges into thousands of real experiences for young people and to bring IndEX into schools nationally.

Find out more about IndEX and how employers and educators can get involved at the-index.uk.

Ready to get involved? Pledge Employer Engagement with IndEX