Birmingham Future is having another push to attract young people into the professions.
They are being targeted in a new "community outreach programme" designed to build links between them and Birmingham's booming professional, financial and creative services sector.
Launched in the city yesterday at Pennyblacks in the Mailbox, the programme is the result of a collaboration between Birmingham Future, Birmingham Professional DiverCity and Education Business Links.
Alex Bishop, chairman of Birmingham Future's diversity team, said: "Since we are facing a skills shortage and there are real opportunities for able and ambitious young people, this is something we have to tackle head on.
"We have taken some time to establish why young people are ignoring the sector and one of the main reasons is the absence of interaction with anyone already succeeding in it. The outreach programme has been designed to overcome this."
The plan is for members to spend time with groups of young people on a one-off activity or ongoing project - running practice interview panels, giving business advice, becoming a school governor or simply talking about their job.
More than 30 Birmingham Future members have so far signed up.
