Businesses are giving schoolchildren virtual work experience placements to prevent them from missing out on opportunities during the crisis.
The programme, run by the charity Speakers For Schools, aims to give state school students the same access to top jobs and networks as those from fee-paying schools.
The scheme was due to be launched at the end of this year but has been brought forward. More than 180 schools have signed up, as well as employers including Cisco, the Opera Holland Park, Marie Curie and BP.
The charity is also launching a virtual talks programme where speakers address schoolchildren via technology such as Skype or Zoom.
Speakers for Schools said: “We recognise that we have a role to play in these extreme circumstances and that more can be done to provide mind-opening opportunities to young people in communities which struggle to access many of the UK’s eminent professionals and leading employers.”
