In the UK today, we face a two-sided problem.

Young people, particularly those from less advantaged backgrounds, are not getting the essential access to careers education that they need in order to successfully transition into the world of work. Likewise, employers are missing out on opportunities to work with and employ talented young people, either because they are not recruiting from a diverse enough talent pool, and/or because they perceive that  young people do not have the skills required for entry-level roles.

Aspirations are strongly correlated to knowing someone who works in a related job, and work experiences are a powerful catalyst for change for young people. Yet access to those opportunities is dependent on where young people live, their school, and personal connections.

Disadvantaged young people with limited networks are even more reliant on schools for careers guidance and experiences of work and yet school provision remains patchy and inconsistent.

I really love working with Founders4Schools, it's an easy way to connect with schools and communities to help inspire the next generation with your story of your own career path from leaving school and how you achieved the position you are in today.

Harley Gribben, Senior Product Manager Skycanner

Key facts: 

• Contact with employers is particularly important; the Education and Employers Taskforce in 2014 found that students who experience four or more employer encounters are 86% less likely to be NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and will on average earn 18% more by the time they are 30.
• Despite this, 2018 analysis from the Careers and Enterprise Company suggests that at best only 37% of young people are having one meaningful encounter with an employer in each of their seven years of secondary education.
• 82% of scale-ups report that they could grow their company faster if the people who applied to them had the specific skills they needed. 
• The CBI lists low levels of skills in the workforce as the single biggest perceived threat to UK competitiveness in the next five years.
• By one popular estimate, 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist.

Work experiences can be a catalyst for change for young people who may have limited networks or come from workless households

These challenges within the current system keep aspirations fixed. ASPIRES, which researches young people's science and career aspirations, has reported that drivers for aspiration strongly correlate with knowing someone who works in a related job. The research also suggests that access to positive role models from a similar background at school holds strong potential for breaking long held societal attitudes around the types of careers appropriate for people from underrepresented backgrounds.

With your support, we can improve social mobility, inclusivity and access to careers, levelling the playing field for those children and young people who need us most.