Unlocking Young Futures: Northern Ireland's First Primary-Level Careers Programme Launches with UnLtd Support

Finnesse Careers & Empowerment has secured funding from UnLtd, the leading funder of social entrepreneurs, to deliver Finnesse Future Explorers. This is the first programme of its kind in Northern Ireland to provide professionally led careers education at the primary school level.

Addressing Early Aspiration Gaps

The funding will support the delivery of interactive, age-appropriate careers workshops for primary pupils across Northern Ireland. This initiative aims to address early aspiration gaps and lay strong foundations for confidence, skills awareness, and future career thinking.

Finneen Bradley, Founding Director of Finnesse Careers & Empowerment, stated: "Careers education in Northern Ireland has traditionally started too late. By the time formal careers conversations begin, confidence gaps and limiting beliefs are often already embedded. Finnesse Future Explorers is about changing that, starting early, inclusively, and professionally."

A First for Northern Ireland

Finnesse Future Explorers represents a step-change in careers education. While careers learning has historically begun at post-primary level, this programme introduces structured, professionally delivered careers education for children aged 5–11.

The programme is led entirely by Level 7 qualified careers professionals, making it the first initiative in Northern Ireland to bring this level of professional careers expertise into primary schools. This ensures early career conversations are inclusive, evidence-informed, and developmentally appropriate.

Aligned to the Northern Ireland Careers Strategy

Finnesse Future Explorers directly aligns with the Northern Ireland Careers Strategy, which calls for careers education to begin earlier, raise aspirations, address social mobility gaps, and build confidence and skills awareness from a young age.

By embedding positive, future-focused careers learning at primary level, the programme supports children at a formative stage, when beliefs about what is possible are still taking shape.

What Is Finnesse Future Explorers?

Delivered as an engaging, interactive discovery workshop, Finnesse Future Explorers uses challenges, storytelling, discussion, visual prompts, and hands-on activities to help pupils explore a wide and diverse range of careers. It begins linking interests and strengths to future roles and builds confidence in talking about their future.

The programme is designed to be inclusive and accessible for all learners, particularly those who may not traditionally see themselves represented in career conversations.

Led by Experienced Careers Professionals

Finnesse Future Explorers is designed and led by Finneen Bradley, with delivery supported by Lynne Kelly-Carton, Careers Consultant and Director of Finnesse. Both bring over two decades of experience in careers education, employability, and workforce development and hold Level 7 qualifications in Career Guidance. Delivery is supported by a trained team of facilitators who also hold Level 7 qualifications, ensuring consistently high-quality, professional delivery across all schools.

Finnesse Careers & Empowerment was established in 2023 as a social enterprise with a clear mission: to empower individuals and communities through confidence-building, skills awareness, and meaningful career guidance.

Innovation Beyond the Classroom – WonderLeap

Alongside Finnesse Future Explorers, Finneen Bradley is also developing WonderLeap, a pioneering primary-focused EdTech careers platform designed to transform how children engage with careers education through immersive, interactive learning.

WonderLeap’s strap-line, "Discover, Leap and Succeed," reflects the shared ambition of both initiatives: helping children discover possibilities, take confident steps forward, and succeed on their own terms.

UnLtd’s investment recognises the programme’s potential to deliver lasting social impact by embedding aspiration, confidence, and awareness at the earliest stages of education.

Looking Ahead

The programme will initially launch in the North West, with plans to expand across Northern Ireland.