A charity that connects UK schools and colleges with employers has made a two-minute film to demonstrate that kids adopt gender-based ideas about careers from a very young age.

In the video, released this month by Education and Employers, three women ask a classroom of primary school kids to draw pictures of a fighter pilot, brain surgeon and fire fighter.

The 22 children, filmed at Whitstable Junior School in Kent, are equally split between boys and girls. They all set about the task and present their drawings. They’re also asked the names of the characters they have drawn.

In almost all the pictures (61 out of 66 drawings), they depict the fighter pilot, brain surgeon and fire fighter as male. Clearly, most of the children, aged between 5 and 7, already see dangerous or more life-and-death risk jobs as being the preserve of men.

The twist in the tale is that the three women leading the class leave the classroom and return in their actual work clothes – revealing themselves to be an actual fighter pilot, brain surgeon and fire fighter – to the great surprise of the youngsters.

The advert was conceived by ad agency MullenLowe London, who worked pro-bono to raise awareness of how much needs to be done to tackle gender stereotypes. It’s part of Education and Employers’ Inspire The Future initiative to help inspire young people to think about their careers without the filter of prejudice-based limitations.

Richard Denney, the executive creative director at MullenLowe London, told Marketing: ‘It’s our responsibility as working professionals, as well as educators, to encourage and inspire young minds that the majority of jobs and roles today are available for women, and not just men. These young minds are our future.’

Although not directly related to LGBT-stereotypes, the video was welcomed by Gemma Curtis, the Education Manager at Diversity Role Models – an organization that takes LGBTI people into UK schools to talk to children.

‘We know that gender stereotypes become ingrained from an early age and that can be extremely limiting for children,’ she told Gay Star Business.

‘Inspire the Future’s new video effectively demonstrates both the need for focused education and the ease with which vital change can take place within the classroom.

‘Positive role models have the power to open eyes, hearts and minds in just one session. Charities like this and Diversity Role Models perform an essential job in challenging preconceptions and, more importantly, give young children a vision of who they could be in the future.’