Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department is taking steps to (a) improve and (b) increase primary school education for children on careers in electronics and engineering.

Careers provision is embedded in the key stage 2 citizenship curriculum, which requires that pupils be taught about a range of possible careers, including careers in electronics and engineering.

The department announced in the Schools White Paper: Opportunity for All, a new programme for careers provision in primary schools. The programme will run from winter 2022 until March 2025 and will target primary schools in areas of disadvantage. We have allocated £2.6 million to fund this programme.

The programme will seek to inspire pupils about the world of work, drawing on positive role models from a range of industries and sectors to help raise aspirations, challenge stereotypes, and help children link their learning to future jobs and careers. Activities funded will align with the most relevant aspects of the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance for the primary age group. The eight Gatsby Benchmarks serve as a framework for improvement in careers provision for secondary schools and colleges.

The programme will include activities aligned with, for example, Gatsby Benchmark 4 regarding linking curriculum learning to careers to ensure that children have the chance to explore how literacy, numeracy, digital skills, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects can help them develop the skills they will need for their future careers.