SECONDARY NEWS
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow seeks to address NEET crisis
The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) remains one of the most stubborn problems facing UK schools and families. But a growing body of evidence suggests that some of the answer lies not in new qualifications, but in something simpler: giving students the confidence to solve real problems and pitch their own ideas. That’s the thinking behind Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, a free national competition now open for its seventh year, which challenges 11-18-year-olds across the UK and Ireland to turn a problem they care about into a real tech- for-good solution. It’s built on the idea that creativity is a skill every young person can develop - not a talent reserved for a select few. Students identify a problem in their community or the wider world and develop a tech-based solution to address it. Teachers can run the programme in a single lesson, across six lessons, or as a self-guided independent project, with no specialist tech knowledge or extra budget needed. As teams progress, they receive mentoring from Samsung Solve for Tomorrow volunteers and access to prototype funding, before pitching to a panel of industry experts at a national final at Samsung’s London base. Winners receive Samsung technology, national recognition, and work experience placements.
Why it matters beyond the prizes
The real value, according to the programme’s own data, is in what happens to students’ confidence and capability along the way. Last year, participants’ self-reported confidence rose from 45% to 73%, and their broader capability across creativity, problem-solving, collaboration and self-management improved from 43% to 65%. These are exactly the transferable skills that keep young people engaged in education and employable once they leave it - the skills that a qualification alone often doesn’t teach. Past winners bear this out. Devansh, who won the 16-18 category with a wound-healing scanner called The Green Cross, says the process taught him how to present, how to sell an idea, and to put himself forward - skills he’s carried well beyond the competition itself. Nell, a 14-16 category
winner from County Limerick, credits it with transforming her confidence with public speaking. Indy’s 11- 14 category-winning app, Plant Enforcers, went from a classroom project to a national award.
Reaching schools that don’t usually get the chance This year, the programme is going further to reach schools that don’t already engage with STEM or edtech initiatives. For the first time, Samsung is taking Solve for Tomorrow on the road, with in-person regional innovation workshops in Glasgow, London, Birmingham and Manchester, backed by teacher training designed to build lasting confidence rather than a one- off session. It’s delivered with partners including the Design & Technology Association, Design Council, Tech She Can and Internet Matters, and it directly supports schools’ careers provision and the Gatsby Benchmarks – making it useful for careers leads and senior leadership, not just classroom teachers.
Among teachers who took part last year, 82% say it builds both STEM and life skills, and 71% say it improved how their students see Design & Technology as a subject.
Since launching in 2020, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has reached 401,444 young people and a third of all secondary schools across the UK and Ireland, with a goal of reaching one million by 2030. Last year alone, 84,137 young people took part.
Applications for this year’s programme close on 18 January 2027. More information is available at u
solvefortomorrowuk.com.
DfE appoints Browns Books to support £5m investment in books for secondary schools
from £450 to £1,400 per school. This funding is specifically intended to increase schools’ provision of books and reading materials. As the chosen supplier, Browns Books will provide access to the largest stockholding of print, eBooks and multimedia titles in the UK. This breadth of choice empowers schools to make their own selections that reflect the interests, backgrounds and accessibility needs of their pupils.
This funding will form a part of schools’ wider reading for pleasure priorities, and schools may choose to supplement this funding with their own budgets to expand their provision.
By improving access to books and reading materials, the funding will also support the ongoing legacy of the National Year of Reading, helping pupils to enjoy and engage with reading long beyond the end of the campaign year.
Browns Books has been selected by the Department for Education (DfE) to support the delivery of its £5 million investment in books and other reading materials for secondary schools as part of the National Year of Reading 2026.
All state-funded secondary schools in England with pupils in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 are eligible, including academies, free schools, maintained schools, special schools and alternative provision settings.
Allocations are determined based on the number of pupils and weighted by school size and disadvantage, with funding ranging
10
www.education-today.co.uk
The DfE has published guidance for schools to accompany this funding, including more detail about the programme and tips to support schools to make the most of their funding. Browns will also provide support and inspiration to help schools make the most of their funding. This includes a dedicated Reading- for-Pleasure Hub, bringing together curated collections, new and forthcoming titles and reading ideas for different interests and reading abilities.
Browns will manage each school’s allocation against the programme requirements, ensuring the funding is used specifically for books and reading materials that support reading for pleasure.
October 2026
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
