Managers to Mentors – Youth Guarantee Trailblazer

Managers to Mentors (M2M) is a co‑produced programme built through genuine partnership between No Place Productions, Experts Through Experience CIC, care experienced young people, and local employers. Together, we’ve created a space where young people’s lived experience leads the design, delivery and learning.

Funded through the Liverpool City Council Youth Guarantee Trailblazer, M2M has already reached over 100 employers, helping them understand the realities young people face when stepping into the world of work. The feedback has been universally positive, with employers valuing the honesty, insight and practical guidance offered by care experienced young people themselves.

In year two, we expanded the project with M2M YP — a linked training course designed directly for young people. This course supports them to overcome interview worries and anxieties, build confidence, learn practical tips, and develop a positive mindset for moving forward in their job search.

M2M strengthens relationships, builds understanding on both sides, and ensures young people are met with empathy, respect and belief in their potential.

Constructive Conversations

Constructive Conversations is a new co-produced project, funded through the National Lottery Community Fund Awards for All programme, rooted in the values and approach of Experts Through Experience.

Starting in Autumn 2026 and finishing in 2027, we will work with 30 young people across the Liverpool City Region, particularly those facing social exclusion or barriers to employment, to use their lived experience as a source of insight, confidence and positive change.

Young people will help shape practical materials and take part in creative training sessions that explore employer expectations, interviews, communication, self-advocacy and workplace culture. Through meaningful conversations with local employers, the project will support young people to articulate their experiences in ways that benefit them, their peers, employers and the wider community. It will also help employers listen differently, understand young people’s perspectives, and build more inclusive and human approaches to recruitment and early employment.