James Kane Foundation

The James Kane Foundation advances education for public benefit through non-statutory work experience, employment training, and pathways into occupations, embodying founder values of industry, engineering excellence, skill development, and community empowerment. Their grantmaking philosophy prioritizes transformational STEM opportunities, informed career choices among employment, vocational, and higher education routes, and equity for disadvantaged youth, believing change occurs via evidence-led partnerships with schools, colleges, employers, and youth initiatives that remove barriers, inspire aspiration, and align with regional economic growth sectors.

They fund STEM-focused interventions including scholarships and bursaries for disadvantaged students pursuing science, technology, engineering, mathematics degrees, employability skills training and work experience placements broadening access for young people from underrepresented backgrounds, vocational programmes like coding clubs in EOTAS centres and "Build a Plane" engineering projects fostering hands-on technical skills, digital hubs and careers portals such as 4C UR Future enabling informed pathway decisions, leadership training for young women via initiatives like SistersIN building confidence and STEM participation, and supportive measures like school food programmes addressing cost-of-living barriers to educational engagement. Prioritizing youth aged 14-25 facing socioeconomic disadvantage, skills gaps, or limited aspirations, they support person-centred, entrepreneurial activities promoting early intervention in career guidance, peer mentoring, outreach partnerships, and inclusive apprenticeships tackling youth unemployment and educational exclusion.

Exclusions encompass statutorily provided school or college services, core operational costs, and non-educational activities. Distinctive for engineering legacy-driven focus on STEM employability and digital technologies, they prioritize disadvantaged youth in underserved regional communities, favouring innovative, high-impact collaborations with grassroots educators and employers over generic youth work. Their place-based commitment demands evidence-based, outcome-oriented approaches valuing lived experience partnerships, talent nurturing, and sustainable progression to high-growth sectors like precision engineering and creative tech.