Gemma Hallett Founder – miFuture
What is miFuture?
miFuture is like a ‘Tinder for careers’, a tech for social good initiative which aims to mobilise 100,000 Generation Z school leavers towards employability and prosperity.
Through smart-matching technology, miFuture app disrupts the school leavers careers process, by putting suitable opportunities right into the hands of a young talent pool, providing a level of visibility that organisations in many sectors fail to obtain, and crucially helps navigating the bias of parents and teachers to put the app user in control of their options and growth and priority sectors at the forefront.
What has been your journey so far?
We co-created miFuture alongside 2500 Generation Z school leavers in south Wales, I left teaching in 2015 and we completed the launch of phase one in 2019.
Over the past five years we’ve developed our award-winning approach to matching with jobs, courses, apprenticeships and volunteering positions to help match skills and innovate the way organisations are seen by Generation Z.
It’s been a long journey through bootstrapping, where we’ve evolved the product 3 times to meet the demands of a fast moving digitally native generation.
What was the inspiration behind miFuture?
The outdated career process needed disruption. The traditional search and apply model no longer befits an on-demand one-swipe generation.
By digitising the process with a singular entry point, with Generation Z contributing to our functionality and purpose, we were able to create an app school leavers want to use. As a result, we help organisations increase visibility of their opportunities, get seen by the right school leavers and easily connect with a young talent pool, a win-win helping solve both employment challenges and skills shortages.
How does miFuture benefit school leavers and employers?
Our targeted algorithms engage a digital native generation with employability opportunities like never before.
Attacking the skills gap and mobilising a young talent pool towards priority and growth sectors is our priority, we are committed to moving school leavers towards STEM, Digital, Creative, Construction and Manufacturing roles. To move a generation away from low paid, low skilled and zero-hour contracts to prosperous training and employment, higher skills and higher paid roles.
What impact do you predict Covid-19 will have on the education and employment sector?
The current climate has accelerated the need to get miFuture into the hands of school leavers, now that schools and colleges are in shutdown throughout Wales an estimated 30,000 young people are in limbo, left without the chance of securing destinations for life after education.
Without school visits, open days and career fairs a whole pipeline of young talent could be lost and organisations throughout Wales will struggle to raise their profile with Generation Z. We’ve ramped up our efforts to ensure that no school leaver gets left behind, it’s a big task, but one we are passionately driven to achieve.
We work with forward thinking employers who understand that mobile- first Generation Z want to see opportunities on- demand and take action in just a swipe. We are rallying at these uncertain times to support the 30,000 school and college leavers unsure of what next.
To help support businesses and the school and college leavers who are in danger of being left in limbo by Covid-19, we are also launching a new discounted offer for those looking to fill entry level roles, courses or apprenticeships, available at; www.miFuture.co.uk/organisations
