DPD UK has announced a landmark mentoring programme delivering 24,000 mentoring sessions in its first year to 16- to 25-year-olds across the UK.

Up to 2,000 DPD UK colleagues will participate in the partnership, volunteering at least 30 minutes each per month for 12 months to virtually support young people with careers advice on everything from how to improve a CV, to preparing for an interview, and building confidence to face a difficult job market. Thousands of young people will benefit, and they can come back for a second or third session, so the support continues beyond a single conversation.

The programme was developed and will be facilitated by Mentorhero, a new global mentoring platform re-imagining where the world goes for advice. Co-founded by Jackson Parsons, who hosts the UK’s leading career show My Duvet Flip, the business uses proprietary technology and bespoke design to match mentors and mentees and guide them through a productive and authentic mentoring conversation. All sessions run on Mentorhero’s secure platform, with safeguarding as a top priority.

The initiative aims to directly address the UK’s youth employment crisis. According to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, an estimated 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 (13%) are currently classified as NEET (not in education, employment, or training), while the broader youth unemployment rate sits at 15.8%.

DPD UK CEO Justin Pegg started with the company at 18 and spent 25 years working night shifts before rising to the top. Today, he leads 18,000 people and describes developing people as his biggest career achievement.

Pegg said: “At DPD UK, we have long believed that businesses have a responsibility to invest in the next generation. I have already completed three mentoring sessions with mentorhero myself and plan to keep going, and I am so pleased my team will help young people reach their potential. We are proud to commit to 24,000 mentoring sessions over the next 12 months through this partnership, and we look forward to the impact we will have together.”

Jackson Parsons, CEO of Mentorhero, added: “Many young people don’t have the privilege of someone telling them how work works – and the job market is incredibly tough right now. Our goal with mentorhero is to give young people access and give professionals a way to give back – all with the goal of making the UK a powerhouse for youth employment. DPD UK’s commitment to mentoring is inspiring and this country needs more leaders like Justin prioritising giving back.”

The announcement, made on National Mentoring Day, marks the beginning of what both organisations describe as a sustained, structured commitment to youth development in the UK. The mentoring sessions are designed to be 30 minutes because, as Mentorhero states, it is effective and efficient, otherwise “young people get bored and professionals get busy” if commitments are too long. The format has been shown to work: more than 68% of first mentoring sessions end with the same mentor and mentee rebooking another session together.

Young people aged 16 to 25 can book a session at https://mentorhero.com/, and other employers who want to give their people the chance to mentor are invited to get involved via the same site.