Mentoring next generation of entrepreneurs

With back to school on the horizon for many, Chartered Accountant Nicole Zalys took time away from the numbers to help students prepare for what comes next.

Nicole, also known as The London Accountant, recently joined young people as a mentor at Impacclub’s Beyond Sixth Form initiative, founded by Auriol Djeuga, sharing her own career experience with students.

The programme was created to bridge the gap between leaving sixth form and entering university, employment, an apprenticeship or independent adult life, equipping young people with the knowledge, networks and practical skills needed to build financially secure, socially connected and economically stable lives.

For Nicole, taking part offered an opportunity to give students something that could not always be found in a textbook: practical insight from someone already working in the world of finance and business.

Nicole said: “There can be a lot of pressure on young people to feel as though they need to have everything mapped out straight away, but I really wanted the students to understand that there is no single route into a successful and fulfilling career.

“There are so many different paths you can take, and what matters is learning how to make informed decisions, ask questions and understand some of the practical things that suddenly become very real when you leave school, from managing money to building relationships and making the most of opportunities.

“It was also brilliant to hear that some of the students were already running side hustles and businesses of their own. Seeing that entrepreneurial spirit at such a young age was a real delight.

“If sharing some of my own experience helped even one young person feel a little more confident about what comes next, then it was absolutely time well spent.”

The Beyond Sixth Form programme focuses on four areas — financial, social, human and opportunity capital — covering subjects including budgeting, student finance, credit, taxation, investing, networking, mentorship, career planning and access to employers and influential professional networks.

Its first phase brought Year 13 students together through a structured transition programme designed to prepare them for university, employment, apprenticeships and independent adulthood, while also building connections with schools, universities, employers, charities and local authorities.

For Nicole, whose profile as The London Accountant has centred on making finance feel more accessible, the mentoring session was a chance to help the next generation look beyond the classroom and towards the confidence, knowledge and connections that could shape what happened next.