At Leyton Sixth Form College, Joseph, a dedicated maths teacher, has been using F4S to bring real-world career experiences into his classroom. With a keen focus on helping students see the real-world applications of STEM and finance, Joseph has transformed his enrichment classes by introducing students to industry professionals they wouldn’t usually have access to.

Bringing Representation into STEM

One of Joseph’s key priorities has been to ensure that his all-female class has access to relatable role models. Using F4S’s smart matching technology, he was able to connect with STEM mentors who reflect the diversity of his students, helping them see a future for themselves in science, technology, engineering, and maths."It was really nice to have the selection boxes and actually be able to get STEM mentors that promote that representation," Joseph shared.

Exclusive Access to Industry Leaders

Beyond STEM, Joseph also used F4S to broaden his students’ exposure to careers in finance. He successfully booked a session with a director at Revolut, providing his students with a unique opportunity to hear from a leader in the financial sector.Joseph explains: "That kind of access to industry leaders wouldn’t have been possible if I had just reached out to finance companies directly"

Flexible and Accessible Learning

With recorded sessions available, Joseph ensures that students can engage with career insights on their own time. The flexibility of the platform has been a game-changer for integrating career learning into his curriculum."Being able to book sessions around our timetable has been really useful," he said.

The Impact

Through F4S, Joseph has been able to offer his students a window into industries, careers, and pathways that might have once felt out of reach. By connecting them with real-world role models, he is helping to inspire the next generation of STEM and finance professionals.

Want to inspire your students like Joseph?

We’ve all felt lost and overwhelmed when trying to find our place in the working world, which is why it’s important to have role models that you can look up to…

👋 Meet Andrew, our amazing volunteer who has shared his story with the F4S community and advocates for neurodivergent workplaces that are supportive of all employees. 

We asked him a few questions about his volunteering motivations and why he chose F4S. Here’s what he said ⬇️

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and how long you've been volunteering with F4S…

⭐ “I run a brand consultancy, helleau, and teach subjects around branding and digital marketing to Masters’ students.

I am a late-diagnosed neurodivergent (Autism and ADHD) person who for years struggled with life and work. I was perceived as being very intelligent, but struggled academically; I was perceived as being extrovert but struggled in many social settings. With diagnosis came an understanding of why the world sees me how it does, and why I see the world as I do. I have only just started volunteering for F4S in the past few weeks.”

Q: What made you decide to volunteer with F4S?

"An ex-student introduced me to F4S and thought it might be something I was interested in; I was immediately!"

Q: What motivates you to be part of the F4S mission?

"I struggled in education, work, and life until I found what works for me. I welcome any opportunity to be a part of making this process less tough for new generations!"

 Q: Is there any career advice you wish you had when you were younger?

"It would have been really helpful to have known about neurodivergence in school already, instead of only in my 30s! There’s little point in wishing things had been different though, they weren’t, overall I think the best advice is to find your own way and that there are many ways!"

Do you want to volunteer your time to inspire the next generation of young professionals? Sign up here

We'd love to hear from you! 🙂

📅 3rd – 8th March

National Careers Week (NCW) is an exciting opportunity for educators to bring careers education to life in their classrooms. This year’s theme, “You Can!”, is all about inspiring and empowering young people to explore their future career pathways.

At F4S, we’re passionate about connecting students with industry professionals who can provide real-world career insights. Our mission is to help students discover diverse career options and ignite their enthusiasm for the future.

This blog post outlines everything you and your students can get involved with during National Careers Week.

🔹 Social Media Takeovers

Each day this week, we’ll be featuring inspiring career stories from volunteers across different industries. These professionals will share their personal career journeys, offering valuable advice and insights to help students explore the many career paths available.

We’ll also be spotlighting success stories from students who have been supported by F4S—showcasing how guidance and mentorship can make a real difference in navigating career choices.

Don’t miss out! Click the icons below to follow us on social media.

🎥 Virtual Assemblies

We’re hosting two engaging virtual assemblies to inspire students with real-world career insights.

🌍 Shaping Sustainable Futures with Christoph Harwood

📅 Tuesday 4th March
⏰ 10:30 - 11:00 AM
📌 Register here to secure your spot

Join us for an eye-opening session with Christoph Harwood, a sustainability expert dedicated to protecting our planet. Christoph has spent over a decade at the intersection of environmental challenges and business innovation—pioneering tidal energy technology, leading strategic initiatives at Simply Blue Group, and advising through Marksman Consulting.

✅ What students will gain:

• An understanding of the role of fisheries and aquaculture in the global ecosystem.
• Insights into how businesses can drive sustainability efforts.
• Career inspiration in environmental science, sustainable engineering, and consulting.

👥 Perfect for:

• Students interested in sustainability and climate action.
• Those considering studying environmental science, business studies, or sustainability.

🔧 Sustainable Futures: Engineering a Greener Tomorrow

📅 Tuesday 4th March
⏰ 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
📌 Register here to secure your spot

How can engineering and innovation help solve the biggest environmental challenges of our time? This session explores green engineering, carbon reduction, and sustainable business models shaping the future.

Our guest speakers include:

• Gagan Jagpal, Portfolio Manager at the Hanro Group, with extensive expertise in property management and sustainability.
• Hamish Barrie, an Accounting & Finance undergraduate at Newcastle University, who will discuss how sustainability has influenced his degree so far.

✅ What students will gain:

• Insights into careers in sustainable engineering, environmental science, and green business.
• An understanding of how technology is driving sustainability efforts.
• Real-world examples of innovative solutions in carbon reduction and renewable energy.

👥 Perfect for:

• Students interested in engineering, sustainability, and climate action.
• Those considering studying environmental science, renewable energy, or business sustainability.
• Students looking at Newcastle University or other Russell Group universities.

🚀 NCW Student Challenge: The Future of Work

The world of work is changing rapidly—many jobs that exist today didn’t even exist five years ago! Think Social Media Manager, AI Ethics Consultant, or Drone Operator.

This week, we challenge your students to invent a brand-new job role that doesn’t exist yet but could be needed in the future. Students should create a short video or written pitch explaining their idea.

📌 Find out more about the challenge and how to enter

🏆 Exciting prizes to be won!

📚 Classroom Resources

To support meaningful career conversations during National Careers Week, check out these fantastic resources:

✅ NCW Virtual Careers Fair – An interactive event featuring employer exhibits, career resources, and industry insights.

✅ The Careers & Enterprise Company: My Learning, My Future – Subject-specific resources that highlight career pathways linked to different school subjects.

✅ Skills Builder – Lesson plans and activities designed to develop essential skills for future careers.

Let’s Make National Careers Week Inspiring!

We hope you and your students enjoy an exciting National Careers Week full of inspiration and discovery.

💡 Got questions? Want to share your NCW success stories?
We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch and let us know how your students are getting involved.

🎉 Let’s inspire students futures together!

The world of work is changing rapidly with advances in technology, science, and society. Many jobs that exist today didn’t exist 5 years ago—think about roles like Social Media Manager, AI Ethics Consultant, or Drone Operator. In this challenge, you will step into the future and create a brand-new job that could exist in 10-20 years!

Your Task:

Your challenge is to research emerging trends and invent a new job role that doesn’t exist yet but could be needed in the future. You will then create a short video or written pitch explaining your idea.

Challenge Guidelines:

1. Research Future Trends
   • Explore industries like technology, healthcare, sustainability, space exploration, artificial intelligence, or entertainment.
   • Consider global challenges such as climate change, automation, ageing populations, or new scientific discoveries.
   • Think about what jobs might be needed in response to these changes.
     
2. Create Your Future Job Profile - Your profile should include:
   • Job Title – Be creative!
   • Industry – Where would this job exist?
   • Job Description – What does this job involve? What tasks would someone in this role do daily?
   • Skills & Qualifications – What skills and knowledge would someone need? Would they need a degree or special training?
   • Why This Job Matters – Explain how this job will help society, businesses, or individuals in the future.
     
3. Present Your Idea - Choose one of the following formats for your submission:
   • Video Pitch (1-2 minutes) – Record yourself explaining your job idea. You can include visuals, props, or slides.
   • Written Pitch (200-300 words) – Write a compelling description of your job, including all key points.

Judging Criteria:

Your submission will be evaluated on:
✅ Creativity – How original and imaginative is your idea?
✅ Relevance – How well does your job connect to future trends?
✅ Clarity – How well do you explain your job role and why it’s important?
✅ Presentation – Is your pitch engaging, well-structured, and clear?

Submission Details:

Deadline: March 10th 5:00pm
How to Submit: Email your submissions to the Director of Learning at F4S at ella.lee-reynolds@founders4schools.org.uk
Prize: Win up to a £50 gift card

Now, it’s your turn to predict the future! 🚀

We are thrilled to introduce Ignite 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 - an exciting learning series designed to inspire and empower young people across Scotland. Ignite is designed for S1-S6 and is open to all students, nationwide.

Scotland is full of potential innovators. Our goal is to reinvent the image of an entrepreneur for those who may not believe it’s for them - and show that anyone can do it!

We’ll hear from speakers who started businesses while still in school, and others who came to it later in life. We’ll hear from people turning hobbies into profitable enterprises, and warriors addressing important social issues.

For example, we’ll meet Amee Ritchie, the co-founder of S’wheat Bottle, who started her plant-based water bottle business to help combat plastic waste, and Joe Donald, who created TripTix out of frustration over the hassle of booking tickets to see football teams play abroad.

We’re creating a movement that connects real-life entrepreneurs to young dreamers! ⭐️

Our recorded interviews are here to spark curiosity in young people whilst providing them with tangible role models who have lived and experienced a similar upbringing. 

Do your students have an interest in starting a brand? Are you looking for free resources for your class? Then, Ignite 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 can help you engage and inspire your students.

This programme is completely free for Scottish schools, thanks to the support of the Scottish Government Entrepreneurial Education Pathways Fund.

Each episode will explore exciting topics such as technology, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and more, with a focus on unleashing Scotland’s brightest minds and helping them succeed in business. ⭐

Don't miss out on our 8-week learning series and sign up today 🙂

What can I expect?

We know how busy you are, so we’ve created a programme that’s highly flexible to fit it into your teaching schedule and run at your own pace. 

Each week, you’ll receive a new module that includes:

• Engaging video content that puts the spotlight on a real-life entrepreneur who has turned their passions into a successful business
• An adaptable lesson plan
• An easy-to-administer Student Challenge
• CPD resources
• Certification after participating in at least 6 of our challenges
  

How long do sessions last?

The lessons are designed to be 50 minutes. They're fully flexible, so you can adapt them to fit your time and needs.

Get involved and help unleash a new generation of entrepreneurs! 📖

In today's uncertain landscape, social impact is valued by investors, demanded by employees, sought after by customers, and will strengthen our economy. At F4S, we are proud to align our mission with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our commitment to empowering individuals, enhancing education, and fostering economic growth directly supports these global objectives:

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F4S, an independent UK charity operating in Scotland since 2017 and in England since 2015, providing educators with access to volunteer role models who share their career journeys with young people. As part of the Scottish Government’s support for the future workforce, F4S connects businesses with education to inspire and prepare young people aged 6–25 for the job market. By showcasing real-world examples of career pathways, the charity helps improve employability and life chances.

Through career talks and workshops, students gain insights into various industries, helping bridge the gap between education and employment. F4S plays a vital role in addressing skills gaps and promoting career opportunities in key sectors like technology and engineering.

In Scotland, F4S works with 221 schools and facilitated over 240,000 encounters with employers, reaching more than 100,000 pupils.

F4S and OakNorth Bank are dedicated to stimulating economic growth by enhancing the talent pipeline from disadvantaged backgrounds to growing businesses.

The OakNorth Powered Program redefines traditional career-acceleration methods. Utilizing the F4S platform, we integrated scale-up business role models and university ambassadors in classrooms, along with virtual assemblies, interactive workshops, and internships. This innovative approach cultivates new ways of thinking among teachers and students alike.

Leveraging OakNorth's commitment of 1% profit plus 1% staff volunteering time, along with the platforms and expertise of F4S, Superpower and Digital Boost, we developed a highly innovative and deeply transformative program. We are on track to equip 100,000 students with the essential career insights, skills, and mindset needed to seize opportunities in STEM fields.

Costing less than a cup of coffee per student (per annum), programmes like these provide a brighter future for disadvantaged individuals across the UK enhancing the talent pipeline to businesses nationwide.

In the first year of the programme, educators in  Bristol, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle showcased 220 of our volunteers working in AI, design and gaming to 30,000 students

The mission of Maths4Girls is to increase the % of girls choosing to study maths post-16 (GCSEs).

Research has shown a majority of UK Girls drop Maths after GCSEs, cutting off their future career opportunities and depriving employers of the skills of almost half the population. Maths4Girls’ goal is to enrich the pool of talent available to businesses across the UK that rely on mathematical skills. We do this by inspiring girls to explore the myriad of career possibilities that mathematics offers.

Our approach involves close collaboration with educators and businesses to both support and champion role models who must use mathematics to thrive in their careers. These volunteer role models engage with students through captivating talks, showcasing the practical applications of maths tailored to educational context of 11-14 year old girls. 

This enhances the girls future career options and  provides employers with a larger pool of skilled employees which addresses the skills crisis and stimulates economic growth.

The evidence speaks from the programme speaks volumes. Research shows that a single encounter with a Maths4Girls role model yields significant benefits:

• A 10% surge in confidence in one's mathematical abilities. 
• A 19% increase in awareness of the potential of mathematics.
• A 21% boost in the desire to pursue math-related career paths.

What do educators say?

"The M4G session has had a positive effect on pupil engagement; our students now ask about Maths-related careers in their lessons." Head of Maths, The Hemel Hempstead School

“Changing the culture towards Maths (particularly amongst females) is one of the most effective levers we can use to improve attainment and outcomes for students across the UK.” Colin Dimmick, Lead Teacher of Mathematics, Arden Academy, Solihull

“Moments like these live on in our pupils' memories and will influence their future choices” Omar Qureshi, Head of Maths, Selly Park Girls’ School, Birmingham

100% of volunteers recommend it

“I volunteer as a role model for Maths4Girls because I remember what it was like to be a girl and not really understand what I could do with maths.” Sophie Carr, Bays Consulting Ltd

“An alumna visited my school to talk about her career in banking… it was super exciting because it opened my mind to the type of jobs that use Maths skills” Allison Aitken, Allianz Global Investors

“I wish I had more female role models when I was at school. I'm a big believer in "If you can see it, you can dream it.”Shauneen McBirney, CIBC.

Due to requests from the teachers who use our platform, guidance from our Academic Steering Committee and enthusiasm from our partner the Careers & Enterprise Company, we piloted a Special Educational Needs (SEN) programme to  showcase the diverse career opportunities available to people with disabilities and who had SEN when they were teens.

We delivered five “virtual assemblies” featuring speakers with various neurodivergent conditions, including Autism, ADHD, Traumatic brain injury and Dyslexia.

Each speaker followed the proven F4S script, which boosts understanding of the importance of maths and other universal skills for careers building confidence in students' abilities. After their talk, speakers were prompted by the host to reveal their neurodiversity. The primary goal was to captivate students with the speakers' impressive careers and then reveal their neurodivergence, rather than focusing on it from the outset.

By presenting real-life success stories, the programme empowers SEN students to recognise their potential and pursue their dreams with confidence and enthusiasm. Through this initiative, we committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every student can envision and work towards a fulfilling and successful future.