Facts that fed our mission

The fourth technological revolution is changing the working world at a rapid rate, and yet the aspirations of children, and their dreams of the future, are not always keeping pace with these changes.

While the world has undergone major changes in the last 20 years, the career expectations of young people have changed little over that same period.

• Gender stereotypes are defined between the ages of 5 and 7, so children often overlook careers early on in life, leading to lower aspirations and less engagement with future education.

• 53% of girls and 47% of boys opt for the same 10 jobs: traditional roles like teachers and doctors. We know there are so many more opportunities out there – let’s prepare children for something different!

• There is a clear disconnect between the jobs that will exist in the future and the ideas children have about their careers, meaning they feel unprepared and disengaged, not always able to see the link between school and the ‘real world’.

• Disadvantaged young people are more likely to opt for jobs that are not future proofed and are more likely to disappear due to automation. Unemployment is a future none of us want for our students, & programmes like this can make a massive difference to job security.

• Girls remain less likely to aspire to STEM professions, even with strong academic performance in this area. Let’s show girls some inspirational women working in these fields!