Ground-breaking partnership backs one of the UK’s first large-scale, independent evaluations of a programme designed to shift attitudes and aspirations towards Tech careers.
Futures For All and The Hg Foundation today announce a major national partnership to expand IntoTech – a pioneering programme designed to transform how young people from less privileged backgrounds perceive and experience careers in technology earlier in their education.
Jointly funded by Futures For All and The Hg Foundation, IntoTech represents one of the most significant investments of its kind focused on changing attitudes, building confidence, and broadening aspirations towards high-growth digital and technology sectors.
The UK tech sector is a cornerstone of the economy, employing over 1.7 million people and contributing more than £150 billion annually. Yet the sector is changing rapidly because of AI, and diversity remains a persistent challenge. Currently, only 9% of tech employees come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and just 29% are female or non-binary, even as 95% of employers report difficulties recruiting skilled talent.
By investing in early intervention and generating high-quality evidence, Futures For All and The Hg Foundation aim to support not only individual young people but also the long-term strength of the UK’s technology talent pipeline.
About IntoTech
The ‘IntoTech’ initiative aims to bridge the representation gap by demystifying careers across the sector, providing high-quality experiences of the workplace and inspiring the next generation of tech talent.
The programme will span five years, having started with a pilot year that delivered 3,800 opportunities for young people last year. Over the next four years, the programme will reach around 16,000 young people, with approximately 3,000 progressing through to work experience at the end of a three-year funnel programme. In total, this will deliver around 36,000 opportunities for state school students across England.
This longitudinal programme will start with an inspirational talk to year 8 students through the Speakers for Schools programme, followed by access to insight days and work experience in year 9-10, and online mentoring to select young people, provided by charity partner, Brightside.
A programme built on evidence
Building on a successful pilot last year, IntoTech is being independently evaluated by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) in partnership with ImpactEd Evaluation through a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT). The study will robustly assess whether structured exposure to technology careers can measurably improve the following outcomes in the intervention group compared to a control group:
- Awareness of career pathways in tech
- Confidence in their own suitability for the sector
- Aspirations towards digital and technology roles
- Understanding of the skills required to thrive in technology careers.
This rigorous evaluation will generate nationally significant evidence on what works in shifting career attitudes at scale – particularly for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
“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.”
James Turner, CEO, The Hg Foundation, said:
“The tech sector is at the vanguard of how the workplace is changing due to AI. It has never been more important to ensure that young people – especially those from lower income homes – have the latest insights and experiences of the sector so we can positively build the next generation of talent. Through IntoTech we are doing this at scale and have the courage to robustly assess whether it is making a difference.“
Ben Styles, Co-head of Policy and Practice, National Foundation for Education Research, said:
“This hugely interesting programme seeks to support disadvantaged young people to understand and access careers in the technology sector. We look forward conducting a thorough evaluation to assess to what extent it improves outcomes.”
John Craven, CEO, Brightside, said:
“We’re proud to be supporting Futures For All to deliver IntoTech. At Brightside, we’ve always believed in the power of tech for good. Programmes like this show how the tech sector can play a vital role in widening access to opportunity and helping the next generation thrive”