“Too many young people, especially girls, are put off tech careers early on in school” – New partnership aims to transform UK tech sector by boosting diversity and social mobility

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 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.

Speakers For Schools said the UK tech sector continues to struggle with diversity. Currently, only nine per cent of tech employees come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and 29 per cent are female or non-binary, even as 95 per cent of employers report difficulties in recruiting talent, according to the charity.

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.

Nick Brook, CEO of Speakers For Schools, said: “This is a pivotal moment for the UK tech sector.

“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 four years, starting with a pilot year that includes 10,600 opportunities created for young people. If successful, the following three years will provide further 84,400 opportunities to state school students across the UK.

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, saying: “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.”

Chair of the Board of Trustees at Speakers for Schools, Andrew Law, said: “Every young person deserves an equal chance to succeed.

“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.