Monday 23 March 2026 5:57 am | Updated: Tuesday 24 March 2026 10:14 am
Lady Mayor: The City Must Make East End Kids Like Me Feel Like They Belong
By: Susan Langley
Plenty of young people can see the City skyline from their classroom window, yet still feel like they don't belong. I want to change that, writes Susan Langley.
March marks the first month of spring, bringing longer days and brighter evenings. Here in the City, it also signals brighter beginnings for young people embarking on their careers. Since 2019, two weeks of this month have transformed Guildhall and other venues across London for the London Careers Festival, a City of London Corporation initiative engaging over 6,000 students from primary and secondary schools and sixth form colleges.
Expanding Opportunities with City Insights Days
This year, we have taken a significant step forward by launching our new City Insights Days. Renowned businesses and organisations, spanning sectors from insurance and accounting to banking, construction, and culture, are opening their doors to offer hands-on, informative sessions to groups of secondary school and sixth form pupils. The impact is already evident, with 86 per cent of participating students reporting increased confidence in their ability to work in the City.
The need for such outreach is more critical than ever. We must demonstrate that the City is an open, vibrant, and welcoming place eager for talent. As a proud East Ender, I have witnessed the incredible opportunities a City career can provide. However, I am acutely aware that for many young adults from working-class backgrounds, the City can still seem intimidating and inaccessible.
Addressing Barriers to Belonging
I have mentored young people who can see the City skyline from their classroom windows but, despite the proximity, believe it is not for them. During a careers session a few years ago, I met young adults who did not inquire about jobs in finance or law as expected. Instead, they asked more revealing questions: Do I speak right and dress properly? Will I fit in?
This sense of apprehension is understandable. Talent is abundant in London, and I would argue opportunity is too, but many young people in the capital cannot access these chances. That is why we created City Insights Days—to connect businesses with young talent and, more importantly, to prove that the City is a place where individuals not only belong but can truly thrive. Sometimes, seeing is believing, and these initiatives provide that crucial firsthand experience.
Business Benefits and Skills Challenges
Showcasing opportunities and guiding the next generation is not just a social good that improves life chances and supports social mobility; it is also a savvy business decision. Currently, fewer than a third of senior finance and professional services roles are held by people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. By bringing in fresh perspectives from diverse backgrounds, we can reduce groupthink and foster innovation.
The scale of the challenge is substantial. The financial services sector is projected to lose or retire approximately 260,000 highly skilled individuals over the next decade. According to the Financial Services Skills Commission, financial services face the second largest skills gap of any UK sector, with around 160,000 people requiring upskilling.
Proven Success and Future Impact
Employment outreach with education providers has proven effective. The British Chamber of Commerce reports that 70 per cent of businesses find it helps close skills gaps, and 37 per cent say it reduces recruitment costs. We have an amazing, diverse recruitment pool right on our doorstep—a city full of talented, creative, and ambitious individuals. However, we must actively show people they are wanted and that they belong.
Through organised tours and introductions with managers, graduates, and apprentices, City Insights Days have provided invaluable advice and experience to those who might not otherwise encounter the Square Mile. If more young people now feel empowered to apply for jobs and enter interviews with greater confidence, then this initiative has been more than worth it.
Susan Langley is the Lady Mayor of the City of London.
