Children as young as six are already being limited by gender stereotypes when considering potential careers, new research indicates.
The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) reported that its three-year study, encompassing almost 1,400 primary schools, successfully challenged these stereotypes.
It empowered pupils, giving them the confidence to envision themselves in professions they might never have imagined.
The project assessed the impact of career-related learning in primary settings, engaging nearly 200,000 pupils through activities like workplace visits and career talks.
The CEC said the result had broadened children’s career choices, including an increase in girls’ aspirations in business and finance.
John Yarham, interim chief executive of the CEC, said: “This pilot has shown what’s possible when schools, employers and communities come together to inspire children about their futures from an early age.
“Most of all, it demonstrates that good, early careers education can nurture a belief in all children that they can pursue any path regardless of background – particularly important for children and communities where access to role models and the breadth of opportunity is more limited.”
James Toop, chief executive of the Teach First charity, said: “This pilot has opened children’s eyes at an early age to possibilities they may never have imagined, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“It’s a powerful example of how the right support and training can equip teachers to unlock potential early in a child’s development.”
The report said by the age of six, children were already held back by gender stereotypes when it comes to careers awareness, but after the pilot scheme three out of four teachers observed that pupils were less constrained by gender stereotypes.