Connecting students and school leaders with industry through our Career Series

We believe that inspiring the next generation of diverse tech talent starts with helping young people see their potential. Meaningful interactions with industry professionals play a crucial role in this. That’s why we’re thrilled to launch our Career Series, connecting students and school leaders with professionals from some of the world’s leading companies like Spotify and LEGO. These pre-recorded ~30-minute conversations provide valuable insights into the tech industry, showcasing the variety of opportunities available and helping students to envision their own future digital careers.

Meaningful industry engagement plays an important role in equipping young people - especially girls and those from underrepresented backgrounds - with the knowledge, confidence, and motivation they need to pursue careers in technology. Despite an increase in diversity and inclusion initiatives, the digital economy still struggles with representation. The Diversity in Tech Report 2024 highlights that only 29% of UK tech employees are women or non-binary, just 6% of tech employees identify as disabled and only 9% are reported to be from lower socioeconomic backgrounds compared to 39% of the UK population.

Our Career Series aims to change this by providing direct exposure to industry professionals who share their career journeys, discuss essential skills, and demystify working in tech. By linking classroom learning to real-world careers, we want to help students see technology as an exciting and attainable path.

Launched to align with National Careers Week 2025, the series of short videos encourages more schools to engage with the embedded industry opportunities within our courses, whilst also helping us reach new schools. Our Career Series includes:

• Four student-focused sessions. These sessions are aimed at KS3/S1-3 students but could also benefit younger or older learners. We explore topics such as creativity in tech, non-traditional career paths, and the importance of essential skills.
• A dedicated session for school leaders. Created in partnership with Spectris Foundation, this session provides actionable tips and strategies from HR professionals to support wellbeing in a school environment.

We’ve seen that industry encounters contribute to the overall impact of our courses on participating students. In 2023/24, we had:

• 315 Industry Volunteers actively involved in supporting Apps for Good students
• 46 companies whose employees supported Apps for Good students
• 4,291 student app ideas were reviewed by volunteers.

Our research also shows that:

• 81% of students reported improvement in their computer programming skills
• 68% reported increased confidence in explaining how technology can benefit society
• 34% of students said they want to follow a career in digital technology following the course.

By connecting education with industry, we aim to spark curiosity, encourage young people to see themselves in the tech world, and take confident steps toward a fulfilling career.

All videos are available to access at your convenience now! Don't forget - if you're currently delivering one of our courses or about to start, there are free and easy industry engagement opportunities available for you and your students to engage with. If you're new to Apps for Good and want to learn more, feel free to contact our Education Community Manager, Kathy, at education@appsforgood.org.