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.

Currently, technical career paths in the UK vary across the sector and there is a significant technical skills gap. Challenges around recruitment, retention and clarity of technical career paths in academia and research have also affected the long-term sustainability of the technical workforce. The UK Institute of Technical Skills and Strategy Technical Career Pathways Lab, funded by Research England, is tackling this issue by working in partnership with organisations to innovate and implement recommendations published in the (pdf).

Forty-four technical and human resource professionals, representing twenty-two UK universities and research institutions, have volunteered to join a Career Pathways Action Group. Members of the Career Pathways Action Group are:

• Birmingham City University 
• 51ÁÔÆæ
• Cranfield University 
• De Montfort University
• Durham University 
• Imperial College London 
• Kings College London 
• Liverpool John Moores University 
• Manchester Metropolitan University 
• Northumbria University 
• Nottingham Trent University 
• Queens University Belfast 
• Science and Technology Facilities Council 
• Ulster University 
• University College London 
• the universities of Cambridge, Essex, Leeds, Liverpool, Salford, Warwick and York 

Together, the group will experiment with new ways of working within their institution to cultivate change that improves career pathways for technical professionals.

Our Technical Career Pathways Lab is working in collaboration with individuals and institutions to implement actions that will improve technical career pathways and enhance entry routes into careers.

The number of volunteers we’re now working with to test new ideas and innovations is testament to the appetite and need for improvements in this area.

We have set up the Career Pathways Action Group to co-create solutions that can help build technical capacity and capability; several focussed projects will use the technical career framework within the TALENT Commission to action positive change for technical professionals through career entry routes, or promotional pathways.

We’re very excited to be at the start of this exciting programme of work. Thank you to all the volunteers who have joined the Career Pathways Action Group for investing their time in this innovative project.

Sarah Allen, ITSS Technical Careers Lead project lead.

We are delighted to be part of the Career Pathways Action Group, working in partnership with other research institutions and universities.

We hope that, through collaboration and exploring new ways of working across our organisations, we can overcome the shared challenges we face together, ensuring that BGS can provide a positive career pathway for all of its technical employees.

Dee Flight, head of science and technical training and development at BGS.

Projects will commence between October 2024 and January 2025 and the Technical Career Pathways Lab intends to share best practice with the sector by July 2026.

For more information, please contact contact the BGS Press Office (bgspress@bgs.ac.uk) or call 07790 607 010.

In July, six intrepid BGS adventurers and one giant tree left on a mission to revolutionise the way people think about geology. Their mission? The Future Fields area of the at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire.

A matter of reputation

Most people with an interest in geology are probably aware that it has an image problem, an issue nicely illustrated in the 2023 paper, ‘’. So it is perhaps unsurprising then that, when teachers of a local school asked children to draw an image of a geologist before  BGS director, Karen Hanghøj, visited earlier this year the pictures largely featured older, white males — although exceptions included various creative differences, including a prosthetic leg.

The authors of the paper recommended that geologists ‘take more responsibility for supporting the development and promotion of a modern, inclusive, important and respected discipline’. This core value is recognised by BGS and, in our most recent strategy, public engagement is one of our six strategic pillars that have a fundamental, cross-cutting role in the delivery and impact of our science.  

#TheCommoditree (that giant tree)

Our new public outreach tool is a three-metre-tall tree called The Commoditree, which was funded through the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC). It was launched at this year Glastonbury Festival and had its second outing at bluedot.

The interactive installation asks people to consider the critical raw materials (placed around the roots of the tree) required to make many of the commodities (found in the branches) we enjoy as part of modern life. It reminds us that items such as our electronic devices, medical equipment and cosmetics don’t just grow on trees. (Plus, Commoditree is a great pun.)

The Commoditree wasn’t the only focus of the stand, however, although the critical raw materials theme remained. When festivalgoers stepped inside our tent they were able to see, touch and even smell an array of critical raw materials up close, as well as maps of metal extraction and deconstructed mobile phones. If they answered questions correctly they also got to take home stickers and temporary tattoos, many of which were waved at us from all around the festival grounds over the course of the weekend.   

Public engagement through a BGS lens

Engaging members of the public in geology is a sometimes challenging but always rewarding task. Throughout the weekend, my approach to introducing people to our stand was ever changing so I could refine how I engaged with the public. I found that a lot of adults wanted to be taught something, whereas the children often wanted to show me what they knew about rocks and crystals. Whilst chatting to people of all ages was brilliant, engaging with kids to help foster their love for earth science was particularly rewarding.

We had a variety of staff on the site, including someone with bright pink hair. One of the aims of public engagement is to show our audience that anyone can be involved with geology, no matter who they are. Our one stumbling block here is the aforementioned image problem and lack of diversity in our field. However, the more we chat to future geologists and show them that geologists can spend their time getting muddy, or hitting rocks, or climbing glaciers, the more we move towards a more open and accessible discipline. We’re also showing how relevant earth science is and how geology is absolutely essential to daily life. Don’t believe me? Time yourself for ten minutes and try not to use any mined materials (hint: plastic is one of them). Ìý

Public engagement is not only valuable for the public; it equally important for BGS staff members to get involved. Fostering love for your discipline with others is a valuable experience, but it equally important to pose a question to a member of the public and have them share their opinions with you — you never know what you might learn. One of our pieces at both Glastonbury and bluedot was an art installation reflecting views on potential lithium mining in the UK. We weren’t trying to shill for an answer but rather laid out both positive and negative facts that allowed festivalgoers to decide for themselves whether they wanted to vote pink (positive) or red (negative). The resulting artwork was only half of the point: the ability to allow our audience to think critically about the importance of mineral mining was the aim.

No one is an island and this is true when covering such a vast topic as geology. We had a hydrogeologyist, a survey geologist and a public engagement officer with a degree in geology to answer any questions. For me as a communications manager, it was important to speak with other members of the team and learn their thoughts on communications and public outreach, and how we could improve our future output.

Team building

Finally, we can’t forget the team building aspect of public outreach events. We worked hard at bluedot this year, but the evening also gave us a chance to bond. When we faced removing a huge installation from a muddy quagmire at the end of the weekend, we had a foundation of team spirit that saw us band together to get the job done.

In a big organisation that covers various locations across the country, connecting with staff from other offices is important. bluedot was a wonderful, fun and at times challenging experience, but I’m so glad I got to take part with such a great team,whose passion for geology and learning managed to shine through the storm clouds of the weekend.

The future of public engagement

As the festival season draws to a close, BGS will continue its public engagement strategy with public engagement events around the UK. Our installation, ‘Clean Energy Beneath Our Feet’, is also touring the UK: it at the National Mining Museum Scotland at the time of writing (July 2023) and will make its way to Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh throughout October.

The final word

I’ll leave you with a quote from a child visiting the BGS tent, amid the music and the giant telescope, who picked up a hand lens and sighed, ‘Finally, life is interesting.’

Contact

If you have an event coming up and would like us to take part, please email the BGS public engagement team (bgsengage@bgs.ac.uk).

About the author

Situated in the Green Futures field at Glastonbury, festival goers will be invited in to explore how our modern lifestyles wouldn’t be possible without rocks and minerals as part of a new touring festival stand called ‘Modern life doesn’t grow on trees’.

The centrepiece of the stand is #TheCommoditree, a brand-new public engagement installation from BGS, funded by the as part of the Department of Business and Trade.

At first glance, the tree is a sculpture reflecting the natural surroundings of its festival environment. At three metres tall, it is an eye-catching sight, intriguing visitors and helping them trace the ways in which minerals and rocks are extracted from below our feet and intrinsically wound into our modern lives.

Raising awareness and the necessity for a sustainable supply of critical metals has never been more important.Ìý #TheCommoditree will not only enable people to visualise just how important rocks and minerals are in their everyday lives, but also initiate discussions around dependence on other countries, the associated security of supply and the circular economy.

Paul Lusty, director of the Critical Minerals Intellegence Centre

Alongside ‘Modern life doesn’t grow on trees’, we are launching a host of resources for schools aimed at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 pupils, including videos and downloads. These classroom activities will explore:

• what are rocks, minerals and metals?
• minerals in everyday life
• the life cycle of a mineral

A green future

Our modern lives are enabled by a huge range of appliances and technologies that are powering our sustainable future, from mobile phones and household items to wind turbines and solar panels. These everyday items appear in our lives without much thought as to where they come from and how they are made, yet they all have something surprising in common: they rely on a host of metals and minerals that are extracted from the ground.

#TheCommoditree has all the electrical trappings of modern life emerging from its branches. 3D-printed mineral crystals in the roots of the tree can be pressed like buttons to light up paths to the gadgets that require them for use. Solar panels and miniature wind turbines are nestled in the branches of the tree, bringing home to visitors the reality that clean energy technologies also rely to some extent on the extractive industries. Some objects will be familiar and others surprising … visitors should leave asking themselves if a disposable vape is really the best use of a lithium battery!

The road to a green future is a rocky one. This stand invites visitors to consider the difficult decisions we will all have to make and explore how mining and nature recovery must coexist in order to deliver clean energy for the future.

The hydrological modelling project is a partnership between BGS and governmental and academic institutions in the Philippines. It aims to improve the understanding of national water resources and identify the impact of future climate change and development on these resources.

After flying through multiple time zones and with far less than the recommended eight hours of sleep, we arrived bleary-eyed at Manila airport in the Philippines to meet our hosts from Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). Our destination for the next few days was Boracay, billed as one of the most popular tourist hotspots in the Philippines. Thoughts of beaches, hammocks and mango ice cream filled our minds as we landed at Caticlan airport and were met by a live band at arrivals.  

New Nabaoy river gauging station

We grabbed our suitcases and headed to our first stop, the Nabaoy river catchment Panay, to view a new river gauging station installed by ADMU and partners at the National Water Resources Board (NWRB). River gauging stations look at the flow and depth of the river, as well as some pollutants. There was a lot to discuss around groundwater residence times (the time water stays in the ground) and further development of sensors. With a light drizzle reminiscent of the UK we headed back into the bus to catch a boat to Boracay and, with the light fading, we made it to the hotel. The beaches would have to wait for tomorrow. 

Rising early, the skies were blue and the breeze was warm and gentle. We met the ADMU and NWRB teams at breakfast to discuss the day work. Two hours later, we were back at the Nabaoy river, talking to the local mayor and various government departments about hydrogeology, modelling and climate before taking part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The river gauging station was officially open!

We spent the remainder of the afternoon with the mayor and ran a series of groundwater experiments with local children, teaching them about water resources, pollution and hydrogeology. Once again, those world-famous beaches would have to wait… 

Learning about Boracay

Wednesday began in a similar way to Tuesday, with a large breakfast and a discussion about the plan for the day. We boarded a bus and headed south, passing through the corridor of shops, cafes, homes and hotels that line Boracay western coastline. Again, we were greeted by local and regional government officials for a second ribbon-cutting ceremony at a new groundwater observation well. This time, Andy M was asked to wield the scissors.

An hour later, we were back at the hotel for a conference about the sustainability of water resources on the island. We learnt about the hydrology and ecology of Boracay and the Nabaoy watersheds, including some endemic, foot-long stick insects, and Andy B presented forecasts on the future of regional climate and hydrology up to the end of the century. This generated discussion around potential impacts on water resources and disaster recovery.  

The next day we said our farewells to our project partners and headed to the beach for mango ice cream and to reflect on the last few days. The white sands and turquoise waters were the perfect way to unwind before ten days of delivering workshops, school sessions and training in Manila!

Vulnerability of small islands

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has identified small islands as high-risk settings facing adverse climate change impacts. They have limited, vulnerable resources and few freshwater sources. Small islands also have a high dependency on tourism in terms of exports and contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), however, tourism needs to be well managed to avoid deterioration of local water supplies.

Small islands present three key characteristics that make them particularly vulnerable to social, economic and environmental impacts:

• small size, which adds pressure on water resources and limits economic diversity
• isolation, which brings trading challenges, unique biodiversity and cultural richness
• maritime environment, leading to vulnerability to climate change

Understanding how climate change and differing tourism approaches impact hydrology provides a pathway to improved water security. Understanding and assessing impacts will require a unique approach integrating geosciences, social science and economics.

Funding

This fieldwork was undertaken as part of the International Geoscience Research and Development (IGRD) project ‘Geoscience to tackle global environmental challenges’. This is a £12 million project lasting until 2026, looking at challenges facing communities around the globe, including clean water availability, earth hazards and climate change impacts.

About the authors

51ÁÔÆæ Geospatial data specialist, Steve Thorpe, has developed several Minecraft worlds for BGS. These Minecraft worlds, showing real-world locations, use coloured glass blocks to represent the true 3D geological structures found underground.

During the COVID-19 pandemic a colleague of Steve discussed the idea of her son creating a Minecraft model that BGS might use as part of its education website, Discovering Geology.

Minecraft makes a brilliant teaching resource for children, teenagers and adults alike, and the models are hosted by BGS, enabling online geological learning using Minecraft as a platform.

…..

Sean Langley takes over the story

I have been playing Minecraft on and off since about 2014. During the initial COVID-19 lockdown my friends and I were home schooling, and in our spare time playing a lot of Minecraft. My mother, Denise, noticed this and pitched the idea of us making a volcano for educational purposes.

We put some initial ideas together in Minecraft, like the size we were planning to make it and the ‘block pallet’ we were considering using. We had a Zoom meeting with the team at BGS to discuss our ideas and to show what we had planned. Steve and his colleague Russell Lawley thought our ideas were good and gave us pointers as to where we could progress, which included adding more to the Redstone action (moving parts), a magma chamber at the bottom of the volcano and having side vents present on the quarter we cut out of the model for demonstration purposes. After the meeting we finished the volcano then worked on our own little features like the board with the legend key on it and the information made out of lava. We then built a farming village to show that the land around a volcano is very fertile.

Hopefully people will enjoy using our model to learn the structure of a volcano in a very informal environment. We also hope that the addition of parts (such as the Redstone and TNT) will encourage a younger audience to also get involved as they can interact with these features and, when they have finished exploring, blow up the side of the volcano!

…..

Sean experience using Minecraft is a clear example of how the game can gain and hold youngster attentions. BGS hopes that the model created by Sean, Nathan and Eryn can be used by schools and colleges to explain the process of volcano evolution. The beauty of Minecraft is that not only can you create something that stands by itself as a teaching resource, like a volcano but in addition to the main feature, Minecraft allows you build something that interacts with the surroundings. Minecraft can be used to explain difficult concepts such as the idea that humans settle near natural hazards for good reasons, like the fertile farmland surrounding volcanoes which produces a rich crop, despite the dangers of living in the shadow of an active volcano.

If anyone would like to review the volcano resource and work with BGS to develop it further for use in schools then please get in touch with Steve Thorpe, BGS Geospatial Data Specialist. Steve has worked with BGS data and 3D modelling for over 15 years. He is passionate about making BGS data more accessible to different audiences.