Why it's important your child learns about the working world - An overview for parents.

Even if they're still not old enough for secondary school.

What parents and carers need to know about primary careers education

Let me guess your reaction to this article before you read it:-

• Why on earth would a primary age child need to know about the working world?

• It’s too early to start pigeon holing em!

• Let them play.

• Let them be kids!

All the above, and plenty more similar comments I’ve heard when I speak about careers education for 4-11 year olds. As a society, when tasked with thinking about careers, our minds naturally gravitate towards students choosing GCSEs or making decisions about apprenticeships or university. However, the way children understand work and the world around them is formed much earlier – even in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and primary school.

As with everything in the world around us, the way the world works is changing at breakneck speed. It’s normal for you to wonder whether it’s really necessary for children as young as four or five to be thinking about jobs. After all, most of us think that childhood should be about play, curiosity and exploration. That’s exactly the point. Helping young children explore the world of work doesn’t mean asking them to choose a career path. It means opening their eyes to the many roles people play in society and helping them build aspirations, skills and confidence from the start.

Here’s why it matters.

1. Broadening horizons early

Children start forming ideas about careers and gender roles from a surprisingly young age. Research shows that by the age of seven, many already have fixed views about what jobs are “for boys” or “for girls,” or what kinds of work seem “important.” or “for people like us” Exposure to a wide range of people and jobs helps children break down these stereotypes before they become barriers.

Learning about different jobs early on helps children see that there are many possibilities open to them. Whether it’s meeting a local nurse, talking to a train driver, or role-playing shopkeepers and scientists in class, these experiences help shape how they see themselves and others. Plus there are thousands of jobs out there that you’ve never heard of or don’t know anything about. Your child may have the skills and talents to be a foley operator (a person who is in charge of sound effects on stage, radio and tv) or a professional nose (A vital and extremely well paid role within the fragrance world) Knowing their skills and talents will help them to find a good fit later on.

2. Connecting learning to real life

There’s not a teacher (or probably a parent) in the country that hasn’t heard a child say “Why do I need to learn this?” Because I said so, or the exams need you to know it just doesn’t cut it with today’s generation of tech using children, Helping them connect what they learn in the classroom to real-world jobs and situations makes subjects feel more meaningful. For example, they start to see that maths isn’t just about numbers on a page – it’s something engineers, bakers and electricians use every day, or studying the use of colour in art helps them understand the effects that advertising has on them.

This connection between school and the working world can boost motivation and help pupils understand how the skills they’re developing – like teamwork, communication or problem-solving – are useful way beyond the confines of the classroom.

3. Building confidence and aspirations

Careers learning at an early age isn’t about making decisions – it’s about sparking curiosity and ambition. When children hear from people doing all kinds of jobs, they start to believe, “Maybe I could do that one day.” Yes they may well change the idea of what they want to be a thousand times from the age of 4 to when they start work BUT, they have considered lots of options they wouldn’t have even thought of otherwise. This can only be a positive experience for them.

These early encounters with work can also help children start to understand their strengths and interests. Whether they enjoy helping others, fixing things, creating, organising or leading – it’s never too early to notice these and seeing your child developing and honing these skills give parents the opportunity to foster their child’s confidence in their own abilities..

4. Supporting equality and inclusion

Introducing the working world in early years and primary settings can help challenge assumptions that limit opportunities for some groups of children. If a child never sees anyone who looks like them, or comes from their type of background in a particular role, they may assume it’s not possible for them; or that they’d be ‘strange or wrong’ to want to be a X.

By showcasing a wide variety of people in different jobs – across gender, background and ability – we help every child feel that they belong and can aim high, whatever their starting point.

5. Helping children understand the world around them

Understanding the working world helps children make sense of their community. It teaches them about the roles people play, how things work, and what makes a town or city function. It’s part of becoming an informed and active member of society.

What does this look like in practice?

At EYFS and primary level, careers-related learning is all about exploration and play. It can include:

• Visitors from different jobs coming to talk to pupils

• Role play areas themed around workplaces (We all remember playing shops or hospitals, but how about builders; hospitality work or a car mechanic)

• Reading storybooks that feature a range of jobs ( see my post about careers themed books for primary pupils)

• Class discussions about what people do and why their work matters

• Projects and activities that mimic real-life tasks (like running a stall at the summer fayre, or designing advertising for sports teams)

Final thoughts

Careers education in the early years isn’t about pushing children to decide what they want to be. It’s about giving them the language, experiences and confidence to explore the world around them, and helping them see that their future is full of possibilities.

By starting early, we’re not narrowing their choices – we’re opening them up.

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If you’re a parent and want to support this kind of learning at home, sign up forr this substack. I’ll be suggesting things you can do to support your child that fit into your already busy schedule. Remember, the seeds of ambition are planted early – and they grow best when they’re nurtured from the beginning.

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