Not Just Lab Coats
The reality is much bigger.
Cogent Skills wanted to open up that world to the next generation — helping young people discover the extraordinary range of careers available across the UK's science industries.
We created Not Just Lab Coats: a careers platform built for exploration.
The challenge
Science is everywhere. But for a young person deciding what to do next, the careers available within the science industries can be surprisingly difficult to see.
And the challenge isn't simply a shortage of information.
It's making that information relevant.
A teenager might not know what a process engineer, research scientist or carbon capture specialist does. They may not realise that science businesses also need people working in marketing, HR, digital, administration and hundreds of other roles.
They may not know which careers match their interests, what qualifications they need or whether university, an apprenticeship or another route is right for them.
Cogent Skills wanted to change that.
The journey
We designed the experience around discovery rather than expecting young people to arrive knowing exactly what career they wanted.
That meant giving them different ways in.
They can start with an industry that interests them. Explore individual careers. Read advice. See real opportunities. Or, if they have absolutely no idea where to begin, take a careers quiz and see where it leads.
We combined content, career data, interactive tools and live opportunities to create a resource that encourages people to keep exploring.
Just as importantly, the tone and design needed to feel accessible to young people rather than like an industry database or traditional careers service.
The solution
Not Just Lab Coats brings the world of science careers together in one interactive destination.
Users can explore eight different science sectors, discover hundreds of career roles, use an interactive careers quiz and move from understanding a career to seeing real vacancies.
The platform challenges some of the assumptions around careers in science too.
Yes, there are scientists, engineers and laboratory roles.
But there are also opportunities in technology, sustainability, project management, marketing, HR, administration and many other areas that young people may never have associated with the science industries.
Instead of simply telling someone that there are lots of opportunities, Not Just Lab Coats lets them discover those opportunities for themselves.
The results
Not Just Lab Coats has grown into a substantial careers resource connecting young people with the breadth of opportunities available across science-based industries.
It gives Cogent Skills a platform not simply for publishing careers information, but for increasing the visibility of an entire industry.
And for the young person using it, a potentially overwhelming question —
“What could I do?”
— becomes a much more interesting one:
“Where could I go from here?”
What our clients say about this project
“We wanted to show young people just how varied and exciting careers in the science industries can be. CareerPaths helped us turn that ambition into an engaging platform that makes it easy to explore different sectors, discover career ideas and find opportunities they may never have considered before.”
Roger Thomas
Group Head of Marketing & Communications
Ready to make your careers content easier to explore?
Let’s talk about the audience, content and tools that would make the biggest difference.
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