New Partnership Aims to Transform the UK Tech Sector by Boosting Diversity and Social Mobility
Speakers for Schools partners with The Hg Foundation to launch ‘IntoTech’ – The UK based tech programme for under-16-year-olds, creating over 95,000 opportunities for underrepresented young people.
To address the UK’s persistent diversity gap in the tech industry, The Hg Foundation are partnering with Speakers for Schools –the UK’s largest social mobility charity and provider of work experience – to launch a new tech programme. This ambitious partnership – jointly funded by both charities – will ensure over 95,000 opportunities for state school educated students with an emphasis on young people from under-represented backgrounds, to explore and pursue careers in technology.
The UK tech sector is a cornerstone of the economy, employing over 1.7 million people and contributing over £150 billion annually, but it continues to struggle with diversity. Currently, only 9% of tech employees come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and 29% are female or non-binary, even as 95% of employers report difficulties in recruiting talent. The ‘IntoTech’ initiative aims to bridge this gap by demystifying careers across the sector, providing high-quality experiences of the workplace and inspiring the next generation of the tech workforce, as well as broadening the scope of who enters it.
“This is a pivotal moment for the UK tech sector,” said Nick Brook, CEO of Speakers for Schools. “Partnering with The Hg Foundation allows us to deliver a seismic shift in the uptake of tech careers among underrepresented groups. By combining inspirational talks from tech pioneers with meaningful work experiences, we’re not just opening doors, we’re breaking them down.”
The programme will span five years, starting with a pilot year that includes 10,600 opportunities created for young people. If successful, the following four years will provide further 84,400 opportunities to state school students UK-wide. The initiative will be independently evaluated, with the results aiming to inform other transformational social mobility initiatives across multiple industries and lead to concrete national policy recommendations.
Tom Attwood, Chair of The Hg Foundation, echoed the importance of early career exposure as a speaker for Speakers for Schools:
“Too many young people, especially girls, are put off tech careers early on in school, and simply don’t realise the vast range of opportunities in the sector. Our partnership with Speakers for Schools is aimed to make a step change in attitudes and opportunities for young people. By giving pupils access to inspirational figures, real experience of the workplace and expert mentorship to thousands of young people, we hope that we will help many more to choose a pathway into tech that will be good for social mobility and for the country’s future skills needs.”
The programme is key to the Government’s broader mission to kickstart economic growth by shaping a diverse, well-prepared tech workforce. “Every young person deserves an equal chance to succeed,” said Andrew Law, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Speakers for Schools. “The tech sector is not just critical to our economy—it’s the future. We’re thrilled to empower the next generation to lead in this dynamic field.”
Speakers for Schools empowers young people from state schools and colleges to reach their potential, irrespective of background or circumstance. The charity leads the way in offering high-quality work experience and inspirational talks from the likes of Bill Gates, Baroness Martha Lane Fox, Spotify, Kainos, Google and Snapchat. Since 2012, it has supported over one million young people into career opportunities.
Interested in finding out more about the programme or supporting young people? Contact Ahmet Ahmet, Assistant Director at Speakers for Schools – ahmet.ahmet@speakersforschools.org
For any media enquiries, contact Matthew Kent, Press Officer at Speakers for Schools – matthew.kent@speakersforschools.org
Research References:
Mol Learn: What’s driving rapid growth in the UK tech industry?
Tech Talent Charter: Diversity in Tech – An annual report tracking diversity in technology across the UK