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A Skilled City

A step forward

  • 43%

    43% of women worry about not having the support they need in thier job (Young Women's Trust Annual Survey 2023)

  • 36%

    36% females aged between 7-12 years worry about earning less than men their age in a similar job (Girl Guiding Attitudes Survey 2024)

  • 33.5%

    33.5% young women did not know what careers best suited them (British Educational Research Association 2024)

How are we doing that?

Our programmes

We Can Be

Our We Can Be programme supports The Lord Mayor’s Appeal ambition to improve access to City careers by opening up pathways for young women who may not otherwise see the City as a viable option. Working in partnership with schools and employers, the programme offers business insight days, real-life role model stories and opportunities to demystify the City and its career routes.

Delivered as an annual initiative, We Can Be helps young women build confidence, skills and ambition, while providing exposure to female role models across the City. In doing so, it contributes directly to the Appeal’s impact areas of breaking down barriers, unlocking potential and aspiration, and creating future career opportunities for Londoners.

How does it work?
  •  
    Executive Summary Download information on our sessions
  •  
    Contact us About taking part in We Can Be events
  •  
    Corporate Partners How to become an Appeal partner
“For me, the day served as a reminder of the wonderful potential of our young people, and the critical importance of providing environments in which they can imagine, explore and excel.”

 

Christa Norton
Marketing Director
Roc Technologies

Take part in We Can Be

We Can Be: Event 2025

WeCanBe FutureReady

The impact of our work

  • 86%

    of young women will consider a role in the City after the event

  • 86%

    left the event confident they could have a career in The City if they wanted one 

  • 84%

    know what skills are needed to have a career in The City after attending We Can Be 2025

How does it work

Empowering young women to make informed decisions about their careers 

We Can Be hosts a series of workshops around a central event that help young women see the City as a viable career option. The initiative helps develop skills, ambitions, and gives exposure to other women in the City.

Our upcoming events

We Can Be

Upcoming Events

Select an event to learn more or register your interest.

Visit our event calendar to find out more about all the upcoming events across The Lord Mayor’s Appeal and our initiatives.

Our event calendar

12 February We Can Be 2026
We Can Be Programme Sponsors

We are grateful to the following companies who proudly support our mission to inspire and upskill young women through our initiative.
  •  
    Eastern City BID
  •  
    Culture Mile BID
  •  
    Roc Technologies
  •  
    City of London Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhood Fund

Get Involved

With your support, we can make an unprecedented change to help one million people thrive.

How to donate