Puma Private Equity has completed a £2.75 million investment into diversity specialists MyKindaFuture (also known as MKF). The capital injection will enable MKF to expand its mission to help employers access a broader and more diverse talent pool, improve retention rates and tackle skills shortages.
MKF bills itself as the UK’s largest emerging talent specialist and offers a one-stop-shop for businesses looking to build meaningful relationships with future employees, especially at apprentice and graduate level. Outcomes have already appeared successful, reducing drop-out rates through the recruitment process by as much as 44%, and improving retention rates once employed.
The company focuses its recruitment on young people – bridging the gap between education and the world of work, and raising the skills and aspirations of those aged 11 to 25. It aims to help students from a range of backgrounds develop employability skills and succeed in the workplace, whilst supporting employers with their specific recruitment needs – from work experience and apprenticeships through to graduate programmes. Will Akerman, founder and managing director of MyKindaFuture, said of the investment: “We are a social business supporting young people of all backgrounds in the transition from school through to the first year of employment. Our journey has been fantastic, thanks to the support of our teams, incredible clients and business partners. This new funding from Puma Private Equity will allow us to continue building on our success within the emerging talent space, supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and achieving our goal – to reduce youth unemployment.”
Founded in 2011, MKF has built an impressive network of secondary schools, having delivered 882 school events this year, as well as organising 57 events across 28 universities and engaging with more than 25,000 young people via its innovative tech platform, connectr. The company draws on a mix of face-to-face workshops, online challenges, digital tools, events, campus ambassadors and pre-boarding programmes to upskill students and employees. For instance, its award-winning online platform, connectr, allows MKF to support young people throughout their career journey – from initial engagement, to mentoring, to day one and beyond.
