Building future talent in the North East: A conversation with Atom bank's Emma Betley 

Atom was formed with a mission to change banking for good, for the better, and for everyone. While that of course means providing first class service for our customers, it's also about how we impact the communities around us.

We're headquartered in the North East, and that was a very intentional choice. We’re very committed to helping the region to be the most prosperous version of itself, and a large part of that is about supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to access high-quality education, training and career opportunities.

That commitment is delivered through our Atom Futures programme, which includes our Atom Futures Fund, Women in Tech scholarships with Durham University, and participation in the EY Foundation's Smart Futures programme. We've partnered with the EY Foundation for a number of years because both Atom and the young people involved get an enormous amount of value from the experience.

2.      What did you go on to do with us and what would you say the benefits have been for your organisation?

The EY Foundation's Smart Futures programme is one of the flagship initiatives within our Atom Futures programme. It gives us an effective way to create meaningful impact for young people while providing a varied and comprehensive experience that would be challenging to replicate on our own.

The support the EY Foundation provides, from safeguarding to outreach, helps us engage with young people safely and effectively and ensures we're reaching those who can really benefit from the opportunity. It's also a fantastic opportunity for our colleagues to develop leadership, coaching, mentoring and communication skills through volunteering.

We also value the fact that young people gain access to wider networking opportunities, ongoing support and an alumni community through the EY Foundation.

3.      What did you learn from working with the EY Foundation and young people?

We always learn an enormous amount from the young people we work with. Every year I’m reminded of how much value they bring, particularly when we give them a project to work on.

This year, for example, we asked students to explore the future of savings and what an AI and agentic world might mean for the savings journey, particularly for younger customers. The outputs they produced were absolutely fantastic; the ideas were really unique, and we feed those insights back into our business. It's like having a mini focus group.

One of the biggest things we see is the progress young people make over the course of the programme. Whether through direct feedback or survey results, it's clear that even a relatively short programme can have a real impact on confidence, understanding of banking and future aspirations.

I think the workplace experience element is particularly valuable because it allows young people to put their employability skills into practice while breaking down assumptions about careers in banking and technology, helping them see these industries as more accessible.

4.      What else do you do to be a youth‑friendly employer or drive social mobility in your organisation?

Under the Atom Futures banner, we run a number of initiatives focused on supporting young people across the North East.

Our Atom Futures Fund provides grant funding to students from low income or care-experienced backgrounds who are applying to Russell Group universities. We also partner with Durham University to provide Women in Technology scholarships to young women studying Computer Science. Beyond this, we have strong relationships with schools, colleges and universities across the region. We regularly partner with university students on research projects and provide insights and data that support both their studies and our business.

We also do a lot of work focused on gender equality through our Atom Women's Network, which aims to inspire the next generation of women in business, particularly those who may not have had the same advantages or opportunities as others.

Mentoring is another important part of our approach. In addition to supporting EY Foundation students, we mentor young people through local schools and universities, giving our colleagues opportunities to share their skills and experience.

5.      Is there a moment that stands out where you felt your organisation made a real difference to a young person(s)? 

For me, it's the feedback we receive from the young people we work with.

This year, one student reached out to us after completing the programme to say they’d love to stay connected with Atom and continue hearing about what we're doing. To see that they wanted to maintain that relationship and had genuinely taken something meaningful from the experience was really positive.

More broadly, our Women in Tech scholars at Durham University are a great example of the impact these initiatives can have. Our scholars are fantastic young women, who are excelling in their studies, running student-led societies and really thriving. We've welcomed two of them for internships at Atom, in addition to the financial support we offer, recognising the importance of mentorship, opportunities and experiences that can help them to build confidence and develop their careers.

6.      Have you faced any challenges during your organisation’s social mobility journey?

From what I've seen, there is certainly no shortage of interest. Young people, schools and parents are incredibly engaged with the opportunities that we offer.

If anything, the challenge is the shortage of opportunities available overall, which is exactly what we're trying to help address.

One area I've reflected on is whether stronger collaboration between organisations could allow us to reach even more young people. Many businesses have social mobility programmes and similar commitments, and there may be opportunities to work together more effectively to maximise impact across regions.

While that can sometimes be challenging to coordinate, it's an area where there's real potential to make a difference.

7.      What would you say to other employers thinking of advancing their social mobility journey and what would you say the specific business benefits of supporting social mobility are? 

For me, supporting social mobility is a brilliant way of directly impacting the lives of young people who haven't had the same opportunities as others. At Atom, it's always been about doing the right thing, but it also has clear business benefits.

Not every young person we support will go on to work at Atom, and that's okay. But creating opportunities, inspiring future talent and helping young people understand the career paths available to them benefits both individuals and businesses alike.

Having a strong pool of talented people in the region and in the industries we operate in is a huge benefit, and that's exactly why supporting social mobility matters.

If you're an employer looking to start your social mobility journey or explore how your business can benefit from diverse talent, learn more and get in touch today.