At Inspiring the Future we enable schools to connect directly with volunteers from the world of work – real people in real jobs. Brilliant people, who help children from primary age up imagine futures they never knew existed. The kind that spark ambition, wonder, and a sense of “that could be me”.
Inspiring
As children start forming ideas about ‘who they can be’ as early as seven, we start early. In primary schools to be exact. Removing stereotypes before they take hold – and freeing young minds!
We’re one of the few organisations that works across all age groups, from early years to post-16 – offering support that grows with students.
The beauty is in our giving teachers and career leads control to arrange events and interactions. They can search through our 90,000+ volunteers, contact people direct, decide when to run activities, the subject matter and how big (or small) the activity is. There’s no red-tape, and everything is relevant – since they’re in charge.
Add to this the events we organise – both in-person Specialist Events and virtual Showcase Events – and students and teachers get a wonderful world of opportunity opened up to them.
The right people
Our network of over 90,000 volunteers is as diverse as the students they inspire – from scientists to stylists, plumbers to pilots, civil servants to self-starters. Some grew up locally. Others share lived experience with your students. These aren’t distant role models – they’re people students can relate to and learn from.
They come from every walk of life, job and sector – from apprentices to CEOs, from app designers and broadband technicians to zoologists, milliners and aircraft engineers. They go into schools – in person and virtually – to share their story: what they do, how they got there, and what working life is really like. These short, personal stories engage and inspire young people far more than a traditional careers talk ever could.
Our volunteers are amazing, and we’re always looking for more!
Insider knowledge
Most of our team are former teachers, so we understand the pressures and priorities of school life. That’s why we keep things simple, practical, flexible and grounded in what works. You’re supported by people who genuinely understand education.
We offer ideas, run events, deliver training, and share practical tips that make things easier for schools – because we’ve been there.
Put together, it’s a flexible, joined-up way to reach and inspire students, in ways that instantly make an impact.
Making a difference
We see the impact on children, teachers and volunteers every day, and that’s no exaggeration! It could be a student discovering a job they’d never heard of, realising someone like them can do it, and leaving with a new sense of possibility.
It’s not just something we notice. Our robust research shows meeting volunteers from the world of work helps young people do better in school, feel more confident about their futures, and make choices that are right for them.
It helps them make sense of what they’re learning in school and opens their eyes to careers they might never have come across, from green energy to game design and even boat building!
“Young people who take part in guidance activities enriched by employers and people in work are less likely to be unemployed, more likely to earn higher wages and they’re happier in their jobs.”
Dr Anthony Mann, OECD
It’s simple, really: when students hear honest, first-hand stories from real people, it inspires and it sticks.
Why it works
Inspiring the Future is built with schools in mind – shaped by teachers, free to use, and easy to fit around the school day.
Our online platform makes it simple to connect with volunteers. You can search by job role, life experience or location, or post an activity and invite people to respond. It puts schools in control – and makes meaningful connections possible, without having to pull in favours or enlist ‘the usual’ fire-fighter, police or nursing type roles – which most children are aware of anyway!
Sessions can be in-person or virtual, local or national, and in a format that works for you – from short chats, speed-networking and assemblies to careers fairs and mock interviews.
And it’s all made possible by a diverse, growing network of volunteers across the UK – building on the 4.95+ million interactions we’ve created to date between students and people from the world of work.
Further information for Secondary Schools
I work in a school and our students would benefit from this
That’s brilliant! The good news is it takes just a few moments to join and start Inspiring the Future with us! There’s no cost to you, and you immediately get access to our diverse range of volunteers, so you can start searching and finding interesting and unusual job types and sectors for your students to meet.
As well as organising or supplementing your own activites, you can also join our virtual events that are planned across the year. And we have lots of supplementary materials to make your lesson plans even more robust.
Find out more about:
I’m an employer and want my organisation to help
There are lots of ways that you can get involved that are tailored to you, your objectives and resources available. Whatever you do, we can guarantee you’ll be making a tangible difference to children’s aspirations, confidence, motivation and future careers.
I’d like to get involved as a volunteer
By sharing your career story, you can have a significant impact on the young people you speak with and their future. It doesn’t matter your age, your background, how ‘squiggly’ your career path is, you and your journey are unique and special. So, what are you waiting for?
All about Inspiring the Future and how to engage and motivate young people for their future careers.
Inspiring the Future also includes:
icould provides career ideas and information for 14-18 year-olds. Included are career videos by workplace volunteers as well as labour market information and practical guides. It's great for use alongside other Inspiring The Future activities or as a standalone resource.
This is our dedicated service for primary schools, with workplace volunteers inspiring children in activities across the curriculum. We help children link learning to the wider world in an engaging way. Breaking stereotypes that form early and broadening their horizons.
More about the Education and Employer’s charity
The Education and Employers charity also runs:
A field leader in the impact of employer engagement in schools to young people and the economy, Education and Employers Research informs education policy and practice, and underpins Inspiring the Future.