I grew up on a council estate. Now I’m using AI to help teens
A disappointing youth careers fair in London has led to the creation of a new platform designed to help young people find their path in life.
Anna Mbwese, who grew up as the eldest of five sisters on a council estate in East London, founded Shine AI after witnessing two young people who had dropped out of school struggle to find direction at the careers event.
The teens had come looking for hope and opportunities, but found no tools or support made for people like them. On the journey home, they spoke about feeling lost and unseen.
Anna, now a mum-of-two, said: “When I saw those sad faces that day, I recognised myself and my sisters growing up on a council estate with limited opportunities before us. I knew what it felt like to be talented but have no idea how to use that talent. I spent years figuring things out the hard way because no one showed me what was possible. I didn't want these young people to waste years like I did.
“Shine is different. It’s true entry-level jobs and work experience opportunities. It's not cold, one-size-fits-all advice. Using artificial intelligence, we match young people to opportunities that actually fit them - genuine jobs, apprenticeships, scholarships, learning, training and schemes tailored to their interests and skills. They don't have to hunt through endless dead listings and scam posts to find their future."
“We're like LinkedIn but made just for teenagers. I want to see my children, the kids I work with and those from disadvantaged or diverse backgrounds to fulfil their potential and find financially sustainable careers.”
Shine will transform how young people aged 16 to 24 search for entry-level jobs and career guidance across all sectors, from technology to agriculture, medicine to aerospace.
How it works
When a Shine user signs up they land on their user profile where they can access true entry level opportunities, day in the life videos of niche careers, and forums to ask the community and experts all of their career related questions.
Once the user completes their profile with information about their location, qualifications, work experience, interests, personality traits and what they value most in a career; Shine presents them with some suggested careers, and directs them step-by-step from exactly where they are, to build the skills, qualifications and experience needed to enter the industry.
Users can access true learning, training, work experience, volunteer opportunities and entry level jobs directly from the platform, without having to sift through hundreds of dead listings and spam.