The vital importance of access to good work with Anna Ambrose

Good quality, meaningful work is vital for mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. This is even more important for young people entering the labour market for the first time. US research shows university graduates entering the workforce during a recession experience lower earnings for at least 10-15 years longer than those who start work when economies are doing well.

But what is good work and why does it matter? As pathways into working life face their biggest challenge in decades, creating high-quality apprenticeships matters more than ever. In this final episode of series 16, Anna Ambrose, CEO of Workwhile, shares her insights on the importance of creating work and career opportunities that deliver meaning and purpose for young people.

About Anna Ambrose

Anna is CEO of Workwhile – a small charity with a mission to create a fairer world of work. She has led Workwhile’s strategy and operations from its inception as a pilot project incubated by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). Since 2020, Workwhile has improved the working lives of 3,000 people from disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds, by creating new apprenticeships and high-quality work opportunities.

Prior to joining IPPR in June 2019, Anna worked for education charity Ambition Institute, supporting schools and multi-academy trusts to develop their workforce and leading the operational delivery of Ambition's sales and account management function. Anna also led Ambition's staff equality, diversity and inclusion work. Outside work, Anna is chair of governors at a local primary school.

Find Anna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-ambrose-46400234/

Workwhile website: https://workwhile.org.uk/