You Can't Be What You Can't See": The Discover Track Makes Local News in Fishponds Voice

May 5

2 min read

Nice to see we’ve made it into the local newspaper!

Thank you to Gemma Larkin, Careers Lead at BMET Cabot Learning Federation, for sending this through. It has genuinely been such a dream working with you - your students are very lucky to have a careers leader who sees the possibilities in the new and is willing to champion innovation that genuinely puts young people first.

Really proud to see the Discover Track featured in Fishponds Voice as part of the Digital Futures 50-hour work experience programme for 14–15 year olds, funded by Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and evaluated by Aston University.

Working together with Cabot Learning Federation, over 100 students took part in live employer sessions, workshops, and activities with organisations including the NHS, Barclays, HSBC, Deloitte, Spotify, Bosch and the BBC. Cabot are also part of our Bristol working group helping shape local delivery and employer engagement across the region.

One of Gemma’s quotes that really stood out was:

“Students were inspired by exposure to a diverse range of professionals, embodying the idea that ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’.”

Craig Jordan also summed up the impact perfectly:

“The partnership has opened students’ eyes to opportunities and careers they may never have previously considered.”

I’m also incredibly proud that our programme scored 10/10 for innovation on paper when assessed by the government, and as a result we were awarded the full grant funding. But what matters most is that it translated in real life, with real young people. They are always the true measure of success. Seeing students engage, grow in confidence, and start thinking differently about their futures is exactly why we built this.

And on a personal note — seeing one of our interns secure an apprenticeship already has been such a reminder of why this work matters. Her message to me this week honestly meant everything.

“I wouldn’t have been able to get this job without you… I hope you help more and more young people with finding experience and work.”

That’s the impact.

Huge thank you to everyone involved in making the pilot such a success.