Why the UK's biggest tech firms are doing work experience together

Too many young people think a career in tech isn’t for them. Not because they lack ability but because nobody has shown them otherwise. Until now.

Only 9% of UK tech workers come from low socioeconomic backgrounds and just 29% are women or non-binary. What’s more, 62% of young people not in education, employment or training say a lack of work experience has affected their employability.

With AI reshaping entry-level roles and a growing demand for diverse, future-ready teams, the urgency to act has never been greater. But what can we do about it?

Introducing Discover Tech

Discover Tech is a two-day, collaborative work experience programme for Year 12 students tackling this challenge at scale. Led by Cisco and delivered in partnership with Connectr Early Engagement, the pilot programme launched this year with four founding partners, including techUK members Accenture UK&I, Adobe and IBM. This July we’re joined by new employer partners, including more techUK members: CDW, FDM Group, and Kao Data.

Day one hosts 300 students in a single venue for immersive sessions covering programming, cybersecurity, AI, and digital storytelling. Day two sees students split into smaller groups and visit participating employer offices for a behind-the-scenes look at what a tech career could look like.

Kathryn Baddeley, Head of CSR at Cisco UK & Ireland, explains the benefit: “This is about scaling beyond what we can do alone. The scale of the challenge in the UK tech sector is simply too big for any one company to solve.”

The pilot results speak for themselves

Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. As one participant explained, "I love cybersecurity because of the problem-solving aspect of it. I'm looking forward to meeting all employers… I feel inspired to do it as a career."

Light touch work experience that delivers

Work experience is a significant commitment for so many businesses. Discover Tech makes it easier. Connectr Early Engagement handles the resource-heavy work – student recruitment, safeguarding and the core programme structure. Being a participating employer is simple: you bring your team, share your story and let students experience what it's like to work at your organisation.

The brands who delivered the pilot in February are proof that this is a manageable way to offer work experience.

The future is bright

Discover Tech goes beyond CSR – it’s also an effective talent strategy. The Year 12 students taking part in July’s Discover Tech programme will be 2027’s apprentice cohort. Could you be building relationships with your future workforce this summer?

July’s programme involves work experience for 300 students in London and 300 in Manchester. By 2027, we're planning to reach 1,200+ students across the UK. Employers who get involved now will play a key role in shaping that evolution.

Get ready to make work experience in tech accessible to all

A final word from Kathryn Baddeley, “By working together – even as companies that might compete for talent – we can build a larger and more diverse talent pipeline. It’s not just about raising the bar for entry; it’s about raising the floor so more people can access opportunities.”

The July programmes in London and Manchester are nearly full, with just two employer spots remaining across both cities. Will you join us?

techUK's Skills, Talent and Diversity Programme activities

techUK work with our members to signpost the opportunity of digital jobs and ensure these opportunities are open to people of diverse backgrounds. We strive to help our members attract, recruit, and retain a diverse workforce, whilst showcasing their work on workplace innovation. Visit the programme page here.

Jobs and Skills

To make sure that the UK is a world-leading digital economy that works for everyone, it is crucial that people have the digital skills needed for life and work. Rapid digitalisation is creating surging demand for digital skills across the economy and the current domestic skills pipeline cannot keep up. Digitalisation is also leading to rapid changes in the labour market that means some traditional roles are being displaced. There is an urgent need to better match the demand and supply.

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Future of Work

The future of work is changing. Technology is powering a growth in flexible work across the economy, whilst emerging technologies such as robotics and AI are set to become common place. techUK believes the UK must consider the implications of digital transformation in the world of work now, equipping people and businesses across the country with the skills and conditions needed to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the 4IR.

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Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion sits at the heart of digital growth. The tech sector understands that innovation thrives from diversity of thought and is continually looking to attract, recruit and retain a diverse workforce. techUK is proud to support a number of initiatives that promote this, from doing outreach work to ensure that people regardless of their background are inspired into tech, to initiatives that help build more inclusive workplaces for those with different accessibility needs.

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