Despite a steady rise in the number of young people pursuing educational routes into to geography, earth and environmental sciences (GEES), the under-representation of students from lower socio-economic and some marginalised ethnic backgrounds continues to be a significant issue. Aligned with BGS’s strategic goal of fostering a sustainable and diverse future workforce within the geological sciences, BGS equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) team has been actively working on several engagement initiatives to help address this.

The Royal Geographical Society has analysed the participation and progression trends of students studying geography from GCSE through to undergraduate entry. Their research showed that, between the academic years of 2009 to 20210 and 2017 to 2018, GCSE geography entries were lower among disadvantaged students who were eligible for or had received free school meals at any point, with an 11.1 per cent gap recorded in 2018. In addition, when the data was disaggregated by ethnicity, Black students had disproportionally lower entry and attainment levels in comparison to other groups. These trends persisted through A-levels and undergraduate admissions, reflecting wider concerns about diversity in GEES education and related professions, as highlighted by national statistics and comparative studies.

The relevance of this research is underscored by a 2024 report by the Key Group, which revealed UK-wide challenges in meeting the Labour Government pledge to guarantee two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person. Between 2018 and 2019, and 2023 and 2024, fewer than 50 per cent of Year 10 students participated in any work experience and under 2 per cent of those met the government target. This presents a key issue not just for young people but also for employers, as the right work experience interventions are a significant contributor in addressing skill shortages, which are estimated to be costing the UK economy approximately £20 billion a year.

Our initiatives are underpinned by research on the role of work experience in enhancing employability and career awareness, as well as research on the barriers that prevent marginalised students from accessing these opportunities. They challenge negative perceptions of GEES careers and broaden our reach through strategic partnerships that may help mitigate the geographical and financial factors limiting students’ access to BGS.

So far, we have targeted under-represented people aged 15 to 18 with initiatives that aim to:

• support the academic and career development of students across various stages
• diversify the representation of the next generation
• address negative perceptions surrounding the geoscience field, such as views that it is exclusive, uninteresting or offers limited job opportunities
• raise BGS’s profile within the job market, helping to attract future talent
• create avenues for BGS to gather insights from enthusiastic students who bring innovative ideas and diverse viewpoints
• deliver a range of career and academic development activities, with the objective of equipping participants with the confidence and skills necessary to succeed or become more resilient in their future academic and professional pursuits

Work experience feedback

Creative Tuition work experience

In October 2024, BGS and the (BAS) launched a collaborative virtual work experience programme, in partnership with student development experts and . Approximately 20 to 25 per cent of participants were either eligible for free school meals or lived within areas with the lowest rates of progression to higher education. Additionally, 69 per cent identified as female and 39 per cent were from minoritised ethnic backgrounds.

As well as broadening their career perspectives, students were actively engaged in design thinking challenges that focused on addressing our real-time priority areas. This hands-on experience not only strengthened their problem solving and critical thinking skills, but also provided our institutions with valuable insights on how to resolve our ongoing challenges.  

51ÁÔÆæ tasked students with finding exciting ways to communicate the various roles and importance of geoscientific staff to younger audiences (aged up to eight years). This task, titled ‘Geology heroes’, saw students like Renee, Ruby, Sharvari and Smaragda develop creative comic book characters and storyboards, and offer suggestions on how to disseminate the content. Similarly, BAS challenged the students to design underwater gliders capable of tracking algal blooms in Antarctic coastal sea water, with a focus on energy sources and harsh, icy conditions. The students proposed several design strategies, including the use of sonar technology to help the gliders detect icebergs and monitor changes in sea-water composition and temperature.

The measurable impact of the programme was shown by the positive feedback from students, with 94 per cent either agreeing or strongly agreeing that the work experience was beneficial and that they felt supported throughout the process. Over 80 per cent of the students reported improvements in their communication, presentation, research and collaboration skills. Feedback also showed an improvement in workplace confidence. Notably, in the months following the programme, one student from a marginalised background credited the work experience with helping them secure a nuclear engineering apprenticeship.

Springpod virtual work experience

Alongside this work experience, BGS also created another online work experience platform, running from September 2024 until April 2025. Partnering with work-based learning platform , we offered this virtual work experience for students aged between 13 and 18. As we were able to offer a programme that allowed students to learn at their own pace over a course of months, we could offer more flexibility than traditional work experience roles.

The course covered five topics:

• EDI in the geosciences
• landscapes and geology
• managing water resources and fossil collections
• monitoring multi-hazards
• employability skills

We used a multimedia platform to deliver information including video content, interactive slideshows and text and offered example tasks that replicated the day-to-day responsibilities of BGS team members, giving participants a glimpse of what different geoscience careers could involve. We also offered a ‘mock interview’ to help students improve their confidence at interview stage.

Almost 900 students enrolled in the course and we noted positive strides in the demographic of the participants completing the programme:

• 48 per cent of participants were female
• 34 per cent were from a marginalised ethnic background
•  21 per cent of students indicated that they would be first-generation university attendees
• 24 per cent mentioned they were either in care or have been eligible for school meals
• 11 per cent shared that they have special education needs

Data analyses on the programme also showed that over half of the participants reached bronze, silver or gold status of engagement and programme completion. Additionally, the average satisfaction rating was 8.1/10, with students complementing the real-life tasks that let them apply their acquired knowledge. Encouragingly, students who completed the programme reported increased awareness (97 per cent) of careers in the geoscience industry as well as increased confidence (85 per cent) to pursue these careers.

Future opportunities

While the work experience we’ve provided so far has strongly demonstrated the ability to positively influence the career trajectories of students, longer-term investment is required to enable continued impact and ensure that opportunities for under-represented students are not intermittent. To this end, the has been renewed for another year and will be available until April 2026. A second iteration of the cross-centre virtual work experience programme will also be run during the October 2025 half-term week. For updates on the programme, please visit the BGS work experience web page and keep an eye on social media.

About the author

Maria Kariuki is BGS’s EDI officer.

 â€˜Diversity doesn’t stick without inclusion,’ wrote Sherbin and Rashid (2017). For some time now, we have been working towards diversifying our workforces, in BGS, across the geosciences and in many other industries. Although it has been slow progress so far, most fields of science have improved their diversity (Woolston, 2021). One measure of this is the increased number of grants awarded by 51ÁÔÆæ (51ÁÔÆæ, 2021) between 2014 and 2020 to investigators who come from a minority background. While this figure is encouraging, it is imperative to think about how we support staff from minority backgrounds as we increase the diversity of our science community.

Inclusivity at BGS

For people to produce their best work, a sense of inclusivity is essential. At BGS, we are striving towards improving inclusivity. We have increased the presence of role models in leadership positions, amplified our outreach communications, arranged talks for staff and offered a wide variety of training, including in trans-awareness and unconscious bias. To support the diversity of scientists at BGS we have also created a number of staff networks:

• 51ÁÔÆæ RISE (Racial Inclusion & Striving for Equity)
• 51ÁÔÆæ PRIDE
• 51ÁÔÆæ Neurodiversity Group

The role of staff networks

Staff networks are about bringing people together from a wide variety of backgrounds, for example University College, London has 17 staff networks or forums that range from race, minority and LGBTQ+ groups to networks that focus on faith, neurodiversity, male allyship and menopause (UCL, 2022). These networks allow people with similar backgrounds to share experiences specific to them with people in same field of work. The networks are not only for minority groups but for larger communities. A great example of this is the ’male allies’ network, which provides a safe place for men to share common issues around mental health and work/life balance.

The size of these networks can vary from small groups to an organisational level, larger governing bodies such as 51ÁÔÆæ, and across scientific communities (e.g. Pride in Polar). Every network – no matter how big or small – can play a key role for its members and associated organisations. Having networks at different levels is an important step to address different scales and types of issue. Each type of network offers a safe space for members to talk with others who have similar lived experiences and for staff to discuss their experiences both across their respective scientific communities and within their personal lives. Some experiences are specific to the organisation or the scientific field and therefore networks can provide support for career development and self-improvement for individuals. For example, a recent blog from the BGS PRIDE network (BGS LGBTQ+ Network, 2020) described the challenges that can face BGS staff in the LGBTQ+ community working across the globe, especially in countries that criminalise same-sex relationships.

Being dynamic is one of the strengths of a staff network. They can be official, organisational networks that are created to last for the long term, or they can be set up to address specific, short-term issues such as parenting groups established during the coronavirus pandemic. These networks may not need to continue forever, but they can bring people together to help tackle challenges in the present and help people to realise that they are not alone.

Networks at BGS

51ÁÔÆæ as an organisation has staff in six main offices and several observatories across the UK and of BGS biggest strengths comes from the diversity of staff spread across the country. Connecting staff can be a challenging but rewarding experience for both staff and networks. Networks provide a forum to meet people from across the organisation, outside of immediate work colleagues. This provides an opportunity to become more integrated and connected with the organisation, particularly for staff in small offices.

A successful staff network is a two-way street, not only benefiting employees but also the organisation. The collective experience of members can also provide invaluable feedback on current policies and provide new, innovative ideas, based on lived experiences, for improving diversity and inclusivity. As we come out of the pandemic and start to develop new ways of working, begin field work once more on both national and international scales, and continue to deal with the consequences of recent social movements such as Black Lives Matter, our staff networks provide an important contribution to the continuous development of inclusive policy at BGS and in the scientific community.

Helen Glaves, Senior Data Scientist at the 51ÁÔÆæ (BGS) will begin her term as President of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) as from today, at the 2021 taking place online from 19th to 30th April. 

The EGU is the leading organisation for Earth, planetary and space science research in Europe and the event brings together geoscientists from all over the world to present research and discuss ideas in their fields of expertise.

Having been officially invested during the EGU Plenary Meeting in May last year, Helen will serve as EGU President until April 2023. She previously served as EGU Vice-President for 12 months.

Helen, who is based at the BGS headquarters, Keyworth, Nottingham, began her career at the BGS more than 30 years ago as a geoscientist with a focus on coastal geomorphology.

Over the years her role has transitioned and she is now focused on geoinformatics with a particular emphasis on data infrastructures to support open science.

Helen is editor of the open access Earth and Space Science (ESS) journal published by the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and was awarded the EGU Ian McHarg Medal in 2016 for her contribution to marine informatics.

The following year she was elected EGU Division President for the Earth and Space Science Informatics.

A role model and advocate for diversity in geoscience, key issues she hopes to address as EGU President include improving diversity, equality and inclusivity with European geosciences for scientists at all stages of their career.

Having the opportunity to lead EGU is a real honour and will provide me with the opportunity to promote equality, diversity and inclusivity throughout the geoscience community.

Inclusion and diversity has been brought into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic through the Black Lives Matter movement.

There is also a greater recognition that many parents now equally share caring responsibilities for dependents. This should be more widely accepted and reflected in the mechanisms and systems that are in place to support women and men who have caring responsibilities, which should never be a barrier to achieving the very highest in their academic careers.

I also hope to advocate for better integration of the different geoscience disciplines to support multidisciplinary research.

Helen Glaves, 51ÁÔÆæSenior Data Scientist

Meanwhile, Helen will continue to lead the BGS’ contributions to two Horizons 2020 projects focused on sharing and re-use of environmental data. She will also remain part of the leadership team for the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) as Strategic Director for the Integrated Core Services.

On an international level, Helen will remain actively involved in the field of open data policy and data sharing through a number of roles including as a member of the GEO Data Working Group, and member of the Technical Advisory Board (TAB) for the Research Data Alliance, which promotes data sharing and re-use.

Shwmae, Ashley dw i. Daearegwraig peirianneg dw i a dw i’n gweithio gyda ynni geothermol bas mewn Swyddfa Caerdydd.

Unless you happen to be a fluent Welsh speaker I’m guessing you didn’t understand much of that. You might have got that fact that I was introducing myself and that it had something to do with geothermal, and possibly you may have realised that whatever I was talking about was taking place in Cardiff, but beyond that I’m guessing it didn’t make much sense.

Well that how our science dissemination looks to many in Wales for whom Welsh is their first language. As a UK-wide organisation it can be easy to assume our audience operate primarily in English but there are parts of Wales where up to 60 per cent of people use Welsh as their mother tongue. Whilst the majority of these may additionally speak English, not all do and, even for those with a good understanding of English, it still isn’t their preferred operational language and they may wish to receive information in Welsh.

To anyone that studied a second language at school and thinks they could hold fairly decent conversation whilst on holiday in another country, ask yourself if you could go beyond the simple greetings, asking directions or describing the weather. Could you, for example, describe the work that you do using both layman terms and technical jargon? I suspect for most the answer is no. Yet we expect the Welsh-speaking public to understand our research in English-only outputs such as webpages, reports and presentations.

Admittedly there are few Welsh speakers among the BGS staff but should we not make every effort to ensure there is sufficient bilingual material out there to cater for the near one million speakers of the language? The material we provide is often important and people need to be able to find that information in a language they fully understand. This is not only crucial for ensuring the meaning is conveyed but also for creating a sense of ease and comfort that nothing is being missed. If your doctor prescribed your medicines in Latin and didn’t bother to explain to you what they did you wouldn’t feel very confident that you had all the information, so why would we treat our science any differently?

As a Welsh-learner I have taken part in a number of Welsh-language outreach events, including news interviews for the Welsh TV station S4C, translating BGS promotional materials and creating web content, but my most recent encounter with Welsh dissemination was perhaps the most striking. I took part in the BGS Social Media Takeover, where I had to produce a video for Instagram introducing myself and my role and then take questions from the public. As the only person from the Welsh office taking part I thought it would be a nice gesture to record my introduction bilingually. This was met with such positivity in the comments and I even received questions in Welsh, proving that there is a will to have these things accessible to the Welsh-speaking community. Since the lockdown began I have received enquiries from schools asking if there is anyone at BGS willing to talk to pupils about geology in Welsh. Unfortunately we don’t currently have the capacity to do this but it again shows how in demand technical information in the language is.

Finally, we should not forget that we also have a political obligation to communicate through Welsh, with the general feeling among organisations here that it is the ‘right thing to do’. In some communities, the dominance of the English language is seen as unsettling and being able to communicate, even if only a few words of Welsh, immediately softens opinions and develops trust. For example, when carrying out fieldwork in rural Wales, it can go a long way if you can explain to landowners why you want to access their property using a few words of their chosen language. Surely good public relations has to be win-win? Should BGS be investing more in our reach out with regional languages? After all, Welsh is an official language of the UK. Doing so may bring with it many advantages in the future.

Ashley Patton is an engineering geologist and has worked in the Cardiff office since 2013. Her main areas of research include geothermal energy and geohazards, both of which involve a great deal of public outreach and communications. As a proud ‘Cymraes’ (Welshwoman) Ashley has been learning Welsh at evening classes and feels strongly that more needs to be done to disseminate science through the medium of Welsh.