The technology industry is very comfortable talking about the future. We talk about AI, automation, cyber resilience and digital transformation as though the next decade is something we can design, optimise and secure. But there is a more basic question the sector needs to confront. Who gets to be part of it?
Opportunity is not created by technology alone. It is shaped much earlier, in homes, schools and communities, by whether a child has enough food, warmth, safety, stability and support to learn, grow and imagine something different. Yet too many children in the UK are being denied that foundation.
A future skills conversation must start earlier
Action for Children’s latest figures show that 4 million children in the UK are living in poverty, equivalent to 27% of all children. It also reports that 3.5 million children are living in material deprivation, which means their families cannot afford basic items or activities many people would consider essential, from warm clothes and fresh food to reliable internet access and a suitable place to do homework.
For a sector that talks constantly about skills gaps, digital inclusion and the need for a stronger talent pipeline, those numbers should be impossible to ignore. A child growing up without reliable access to the basics is not starting from the same place as their peers. If they are hungry, cold, anxious or unable to access the tools and support they need, the barriers to education and opportunity are being built long before they reach the jobs market.
The technology industry’s responsibility cannot begin at the point of recruitment. If we want a more diverse, resilient and capable digital workforce, we need to care about the conditions shaping children’s lives today.
Poverty is not separate from the digital economy
It is tempting to treat child poverty as a social issue that sits outside the remit of technology businesses, but that view is too narrow. Poverty affects confidence, education, mental wellbeing, access to devices, internet connectivity and the ability to participate fully in modern life. All those issues intersect directly with the digital economy.
The sector rightly invests in apprenticeships, outreach programmes, STEM education and pathways into technology careers. These are important, but they will only go so far if we overlook the reality that many young people are growing up without the security they need to take advantage of those opportunities.
Corporate responsibility needs to be more practical
This is where corporate responsibility must become practical. It is not enough for companies to publish commitments or talk about inclusion in abstract terms. Businesses have people, platforms, partners and influence. Used well, those assets can make a meaningful difference.
Red Hat's UK Defence Team’s involvement in Action for Children’s Boycott Your Bed campaign is one example of that responsibility in action. The event asks participants to give up their beds for one night to raise funds for vulnerable children, young people and families. More than 500 people are expected to take part across the UK in 2026, and the campaign has raised £14.6 million over 29 years.
The point is not the sleepout itself
Taking part is not about suggesting that one uncomfortable night can replicate the experience of poverty or homelessness. It cannot. It is about using that moment to raise awareness, start harder conversations and remind ourselves that social impact requires action, not just empathy.
It also creates a shared experience across teams, partners and customers. Companies often talk about purpose as though it lives in a strategy document. In reality, purpose becomes credible when people step into something together, give time and raise funds for work that directly supports those who need it.
The tech sector has more influence than it sometimes admits
The technology sector has an important role to play. Not because it can solve child poverty alone, but because it has reach, skills, resources and convening power. It can raise awareness, mobilise employees, support charities, create routes into work and challenge the assumption that every child has equal opportunities regardless of their circumstances. It also needs to recognise that digital exclusion is rarely only about devices or connectivity. It is often part of a wider set of challenges. If a family is struggling to afford food, heat or clothing, technology access is unlikely to be the only barrier a child faces. The response needs to be broader than digital skills programmes alone.
Building the future means investing in the people who will inherit it
For all the sector’s focus on transformation, the most important investment may be in the conditions that allow young people to thrive in the first place. A future workforce does not appear fully formed at the point of hiring. It is shaped over years, through family stability, education, confidence, access and support.
Initiatives such as Boycott Your Bed deserve the attention of business and technology leaders. They are not a distraction from the future of technology, but are connected to it, and if we want a more inclusive digital economy, we have to look beyond the workplace and recognise where exclusion starts.
The technology sector cannot build a better future while ignoring the children being locked out of it today. Supporting vulnerable young people is part of building a society and a workforce with the confidence and opportunity to make that future real.
