For a long time, the music industry has suffered from a visibility problem. Everyone knows what a pop star does. Far fewer people, especially kids, have any idea how many other jobs exist behind the scenes, or how you might actually get one of them. UK Music is trying to change that, starting much earlier than before.
Inspired by the strong response to Discover! Creative Careers Month last November, the organization rolled out a new set of careers packs designed specifically for primary school children and secondary school students. Instead of treating young people as one broad category, these new resources split things by age and meet students where they actually are.
The idea is simple: show that music isn’t just about being on stage. The packs map out the many different roles that keep the industry running, from technical and business jobs to creative and support roles, and they do it in a way that’s meant to be explored rather than just read. Alongside the explanations, there are activities, games, and links to online material designed to make the whole thing feel less like homework and more like discovery.
They’re also built to be useful for adults in the room. Parents, guardians, teachers, and careers advisors are pointed toward additional tools and references that can help turn curiosity into a real conversation about future options. In other words, these packs aren’t just for students; they’re meant to work as a shared starting point.
This is an evolution of UK Music’s earlier, widely used careers resources, which had become a staple in schools and outreach programs. This time, the thinking is more targeted. A simpler, more playful entry point for younger children, and a broader, more detailed guide for teenagers who are starting to think seriously about what comes next.
The pipeline doesn’t stop there. UK Music is also planning a third pack for 2026 aimed at students in higher education and people at the very beginning of their professional lives. That edition will dig deeper into how the industry actually functions, who its key organizations are, and what kinds of practical decisions shape early careers.
All of these materials now sit alongside a growing library of resources UK Music has been building across its own platforms and partner sites, including job profiles, videos, and even ready-made lesson plans. The goal is less about selling a single dream job and more about revealing an entire ecosystem.
Dr Oliver Morris, UK Music’s Director of Education and Skills, says the new editions are designed to be something young people can return to as their ideas about the future change. The decision to split the packs by age came after seeing just how widely the previous version was being used.
At a moment when the industry is once again worrying about access, diversity, and who gets to see themselves in its future, these packs are less about promises and more about visibility. You can’t aim for a job you don’t know exists. UK Music is betting that if you show the full picture early enough, the next generation might just start drawing themselves into it.
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