As part of the Drawing the Future exercise, students draw pictures of what they want to be when they grow up, and answer a few simple questions about their future career goals.

We are encouraging primary schools throughout the country to take part in Drawing the Future, so we can collate a range of responses to help us understand what factors and biases influence student’s ideas on the world of work.

Inspiring the Future will enable schools to connect with volunteers from their community, to open young minds to the range of career opportunities beyond their daily experience. The volunteers will be from a variety of backgrounds, and will come in to schools and talk with children about their own careers and the paths they took to get there.

The initiative aims to create an accessible and meaningful way for school and work to interconnect. Our focus initially is on primary schools because that’s where we can make a difference and introduce the aspirational thinking that can support career decisions and goals when these students enter secondary school.

The Inspiring the Future programme is a key pillar of the TEC Careers Strategy, and part of our dedication to providing information to support New Zealanders of all ages to achieve their learning and career goals.

Watch the Inspiring the Future video.