Education & Employers is launching a new campaign to establish and maintain a national network of 100,000+ professionals to inspire millions of children and young people.
The charity has signed-up more than 55,000 volunteers since 2013, from national CEOs to apprentices on their first job – who are “match-made” with schools via a free, online service and invited into classrooms to share their life stories.
And to mark its 10th anniversary today the charity is launching I Am #InspiringTheFuture campaign to double its network.
It aims to create a 10 million face-to-face interactions with pupils over the next decade – all potential “light bulb” moments to broaden their horizons and widen their prospects.
EXPANDED PRIMARY FUTURES NETWORK
The expanded Inspiring the Future will help accelerate the expansion of Primary Futures, the tailored speaker programme for seven to 11-year-olds, established with school leaders union NAHT in 2014.
It will complement a grant of £404,000 in July 2019 from the Careers & Enterprise Company to 23,000 primary pupils in 330 schools
It means millions more primary-age children can benefit whatever background; whatever jobs their parents or guardians do; and wherever their school is located.
The new campaign is backed today by the OECD, political leaders, industry bosses and major employers.
The Inspiring the Future network is linked up to 80% of secondary schools and 20% of primary schools in England to date.
Education and Employers Chair of Trustees David Cruickshank said:
“Inspiring the Future connects young people to the world of work every stage of people’s education. We want our young people to become excited by learning and by their potential, to see the diversity of what is possible and to make informed decisions about their future.
“That’s why we want to accelerate and expand Inspiring the Future into a national movement. We want to give every state-school teacher access to a national pool of volunteers – from apprentices to CEOs from app designers to zoologists, from every sector of the economy, in every region, city and town and every social background.
“We’ve achieved so much in the 10 years since we were founded thanks to thousands of teachers, our volunteers, funders and partners. But there is much more to do. Too many pupils in the UK have too few chances to learn first-hand about the world of work and the route getting there.
Nick Chambers, CEO, Education and Employers said:
“Too often young people’s ambitions are narrowed by an innate sense of what people from their background should aspire to – and what’s out of reach. Inspiring the Future can’t end ingrained social, race or gender barriers but we can give schools the tools to start dismantling them. We must go the extra mile in helping teachers and parents show young people what’s possible.”
“We’re in the midst of radical changes in our economy. Jobs which exist at the start of their working lives, will not exist by the end. The days of simply following your parents or carers’ footsteps have gone forever.”
“No one wants their own children and grandchildren shut out of jobs of the future – so there is a greater responsibility on employers and bosses to step up. The onus can’t simply be put on teachers to equip young people to navigate this world. Employers must help them keep pace with the reality of the labour market.”
“Inspiring the Future gives employers the chance to play their role. We’re proud to work with businesses and organisations, big and small right across the UK – and our campaign will be reaching out to even more to join our work”.
Take a look at media coverage for our new campaign: