Civil Servants from across the country joined pupils at Manor Park Primary Academy in Birmingham to help them discover the incredibly diverse range and choice of careers in the Civil Service.
Pupils were engaged in asking questions, volunteers were sharing their stories, and the energy in the room was just brilliant as everyone discovered something new.
Watch: highlights from the event
An event to open children’s eyes
Over 25 Civil Servants across departments including the Department for Transport, Education, DWP, HMRC, MoD and DHSC spent an afternoon with Year 5 and 6 pupils (ages 9–11) at Manor Park Primary School. It’s a school with higher than average numbers of children qualifying for Free School Meals, and faces the challenge of self-limiting beliefs of what children can ‘be when they grow up’ through no fault of their own.
The aim was simple: to help children see beyond the jobs around them or the “top ten” jobs they usually hear about, and to show them that the Civil Service is full of people from all backgrounds doing vital work that keeps the country running.
What pupils discovered
Through activities like the “What’s My Line?” career-guessing game and small group classroom chats, pupils began to see that there are a vast amount of different jobs and parts to the Civil Service. That many are on their doorstep but they often don’t know anything about them.
In smaller classroom chats with the volunteers, pupils were curious, energetic, and full of questions. From “Do you work in a team?” to “Do you need maths in your job?” they explored day-to-day jobs and how school subjects link to real-world roles.
What volunteers gained
The event wasn’t just valuable for the children. All the Civil Servants spoke afterwards about how rewarding it was to chat informally with young people, answer their questions and see their enthusiasm build throughout the afternoon.
Some weren’t sure what to expect, but all agreed it helped them reflect on their own roles and the impact they can have in inspiring the next generation.
Inspiring
“I would’ve loved this as a child.. especially coming from an area quite like this….”
Volunteer, Department for Transport
Why it matters
Children’s career aspirations are often shaped by what they see at home, in their community, or online. Too often, these don’t reflect the wide range of opportunities available. This means they go after a limited number of jobs – and contributes to having too many young people Not in Education, Employment or Training.
By meeting Civil Servants face-to-face, pupils saw real examples of people who help run the country – from managing projects to shaping policy – and left with a broader view of what their own future could hold.
Our Inspiring the Future programme is so important. By connecting schools with volunteers from across professions, we broaden young people’s horizons, challenge stereotypes, and help them discover career paths they may never have considered.
About Inspiring the Future
Inspiring the Future is a UK programme run by the Education and Employers Charity. We connect eager minds in schools and colleges with inspiring volunteers from the world of work.
In this way we open young people’s minds to a huge variety of sectors, professions and roles. Our research shows this approach works in opening up children’s aspirations. It gives them new opportunities and goals, and they are motivated to learn and progress at school.
Volunteer from just an hour a year to make a difference.
Find out more and sign up to volunteer here
How you can help
Civil Servants across the UK can get involved – in person or online – to help young people see new possibilities and opportunities for their future.
We are keen to talk to corporates, funders, philanthropists and individuals to support this work. With your help we can:
- Inspire more young people in state primary and secondary schools – especially in underprivileged areas.
- Provide children with access to diverse role models in diverse sectors – including those in high-demand and (often) less well known industries.
- Ensure every young person has the knowledge and confidence to make informed choices about their future career.
Find out more about supporting our work
Find out more and sign up to volunteer
With thanks
Our sincere thanks go to all the Senior Civil Service volunteers who gave their time to come to this event – you were all so engaging, upbeat and brilliant. Also to Manor Park Primary Academy for enabling us to put on such an interactive and lively event for their pupils.
Together, we helped children see that the Civil Service isn’t just a distant idea – it has a whole world of opportunities open for the taking!