In schools.
Right now, across the country, hundreds of thousands of children and young people are making plans for their future – without even knowing it. What they learn in school, and the importance they attach to it, will directly shape their life for years to come. For some of them, there’s a clear path in their heads; they’ve had a career in mind from a young age, and they know the steps they need to take to make that dream a reality. However, this isn’t the case for all – or indeed most – children and young people. As educators, we need to support our students of ANY age, ability, cultural heritage or neuro-diversity to plan ahead, make good choices, get on the right path, and make their dreams a reality.
That’s where a collaboration between industry and educators HAS to happen. Employers are vastly knowledgeable, they have a pool of amazing employees, they know the future focus for their industry, and they want the right people on their team. They also know the problems they face when trying to build that team – problems which have only deepened over the past two decades. The advances in technology, the needs of a new world, the pressures of sustainability, the desire for a diverse workforce that truly reflects society fairly – all these impact businesses. But are children and young people aware of them?
Research shows us not. Despite the huge leaps forward in our world, students continue to focus on jobs and careers which are not necessarily sustainable, relevant or (even more importantly) what they have a passion for. We need to bridge the disconnect so that our future citizens can see a place for themselves in your world and feel good about it, whoever they are and however they identify.
Educators have a wealth of tricks up their sleeves to engage young people. We know what makes them tick, what makes them think, how to present a new concept and see that light-bulb moment. Why not make your future-focused career opportunities that light-bulb?
At See it, Be it, we make industry films with education and diversity in mind. Everything from scripting and story-boarding to shooting and editing is checked by our Education Editor to ensure those light-bulb moments happen in your films – and keep on happening even after the film has finished. We produce lessons, discussion points, long-term projects and assemblies which explicitly link your industry to the skills learned in school, and bring your industry to a whole new audience. The audience you’ll be employing in the next 5-20 years – and beyond.
When I begin to create resources for businesses, I always have one client in mind – the child in that room who has never thought about this possible future. Perhaps there’s a lack of representation. Perhaps aspirations in their area are low. Perhaps they’ve just never heard of this possibility before. When they see the film and engage with the resources, they can see themselves succeeding in a way they maybe never have before. If you see it, you start to believe you can be it.
Aspiration + Exposure = Opportunity. Let’s do the Maths. Together.