Some children seldom meet an entrepreneur or an engineer.  The worlds inhabited by scientists, playwrights and doctors can seem distant, foreign and inaccessible.  It is difficult to aspire to something that seems so out of reach; it is impossible to aspire to something of which you have never heard.  Visits from those working in the relevant fields can make all the difference.  They can strip away the mystery and explain what it is like to run a business, work in a hospital, design a building, write a novel or fight our country’s enemies on the battlefield.  They can also explain what it takes to pursue their careers and how to go about getting started.  These visits should be beacons of inspiration.

Of course many schools already hold careers days and all schools can contact people working in different professions and ask them to come and speak at careers events.  Lots of schools, however, could do more to work with their former pupils.  For children at schools where few pupils go onto further education or training (and where those who do are the first in their families to do so) the first step can be the most daunting.  We would encourage schools to stay in touch with those of their former pupils who go onto further education etc and, where possible, invite those alumni back to explain (and promote) the idea of further training.  This could play a very useful role in de-mystifying universities and further education.