A recent careers day with primary school pupils highlighted the important part that tech is playing in the lives of young people and underscored the importance of introducing talk of future careers early on, helping children to explore the vast opportunities available to them in a rapidly evolving digital world. Conor Whelan, chief information officer at The Access Group, spoke to the pupils about how they can shape their careers from a young age and embrace the tech to help them achieve their goals.
Making the transition from primary to secondary school can be a challenging time for some pupils as they navigate the complexities for making new friends, adjusting to a new environment, usually at a larger school, and navigating an increase in independence. These challenges often crop up again once it’s time to transition into college and then university before entering the world of work.
At each stage of their development, the skills children acquire will serve as a foundation, supporting their growth and adaptability as they progress through the stages of education. These early skills will not only accompany them through subsequent phases of life but also play a crucial role in shaping their future careers and professional identities.
A report from The Careers & Enterprise Company found that as students progress through secondary school their career readiness grows. This can present as an increased awareness of local businesses, better communication and problem solving skills and an understanding of available pathways like apprenticeships.
At a recent careers event hosted by The Access Group, pupils at a Milton Keynes primary school showcased ideas for how they could utilise technology to help navigate their experiences of school. Many used the move to secondary school as inspiration and conjured up innovative designs which included a virtual friend, a navigation tool to help find classrooms in a bigger school and noise cancelling headphones for neurodiverse students.
A common theme throughout the group was a consciousness of security issues that come with using technology and an awareness of how they could safeguard themselves. The awareness they have of technology overall and how it can help them with various stages of their lives, shows this is a digitally native generation, who are experienced in finding ways to make it work for them.
Learning from experience of others
As a child, it can be difficult to understand just how many different job paths there are, but as you move into adulthood and gain a broader understanding of the world of work and different industries, there is a realisation of the possibilities out there, and hearing about the experience of others can really make a difference.
I shared my personal journey with the pupils, recounting how I developed a computer program at just 11 years old, while aspiring to become a professional rugby player. This story resonated with them, as they could relate to my ability to balance both sports and computing. They saw how I pursued my passions, but ultimately, only one of them became my career.
Stories like this demonstrate the importance of us having the opportunity to speak to young people, to start educating them on potential careers, and give insight on the different opportunities available to them. It hopefully gives them a belief that they can achieve their goals through continuing to pursue education, no matter where they live, or what their family background is.
They may not have started thinking about their careers just yet, but some of them probably will have, and the things we spoke about may go on to influence them. For others, it might start getting the cogs turning and encourage them to think about the possibilities available to them.
Tech skills gap
There has been a huge skills and talent gap in the tech industry for decades. It’s a huge field, but there are always thousands of vacancies in the UK, because people don’t necessarily always understand the roles and what skills are required. The industry needs to do more to demystify stereotypes and articulate all of the different opportunities available.
The younger generations will provide a huge talent pool of talented individuals who really ‘get’ tech and incorporating tech further into syllabuses can help young people to get into the sector.
I believe that by doing more to make tech accessible, we can make positive interventions to help bridge that talent gap, while also addressing other issues within the industry, such as improving diversity at board level positions and the female talent ratio.
At The Access Group we’ve got a good, inclusive culture and our strapline, ‘Freedom to do More’ addresses bridging the digital divide. We want everyone to have accessibility to the best tech to help them achieve and deliver greatness, and this starts with the collaborations we have with schools and universities.
How school helps shape future employees
When we work with schools, we create tasks aimed to help young people build skills around creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, taking constructive feedback and building resilience. We encourage collaboration and that can help when they have to make difficult decisions. These are all qualities that will help them throughout their education while preparing them for their future careers.
When I was growing up, technology, specifically social media, wasn’t nearly as complex or widely used as it is today. Now, young people face bigger challenges, from the spread of fake news to online security threats and the pressures that can come about because of social media. While these are examples of how technology can negatively impact our lives, there’s an opportunity to turn this into a positive force.
Schools that teach critical thinking and help students navigate these challenges aren’t just equipping them with skills for academic success and life beyond school – they’re also preparing them for the business world. By fostering resilience, creativity, and the ability to think independently, they’re shaping the next generation of innovative and adaptable professionals.
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