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Employer newsletter – 8 November 2022

Hello,

It’s your last chance to register for our event tomorrow – ‘In conversation with Ann Francke OBE: The building blocks of social mobility in the workplace.’ We’re really looking forward to hearing Ann’s insights into the role of senior leaders and managers in boosting inclusion and widening opportunities, and we hope to see you there. 

You can also join us on 29th November for our T Levels masterclass, ‘T Levels: What, why, where and how?’ Whether you already offer T Level industry placements, have hired employees with T Level qualifications, or just want to know more about what they are and how you can get involved, this promises to be a fascinating look at these new courses and how they can help you tap into diverse talent.  

Thanks for reading,

The SMC Employers Team

 

Upcoming events:


T Levels: What, why, where and how?

Tuesday 29th November, 2-3pm

Keen to explore different ways of reaching a widening talent pool for your early-in-career hires? T Levels may be just what you’re looking for.  

Join us on 29th November as we discuss what T Levels are, why they’re good for social mobility, and how they can support employers to get early access to talented young people.

Hosted by our Deputy Chair (and Principal of Oldham College), Alun Francis, our panel will include employers who have already placed T Level students into their businesses, and will provide insight into how you too can benefit from bringing a young person into your workplace through this route, as well as how it can help you build a pipeline of talent for you and your industry.  

Register now to attend our T Levels masterclass.

 

In conversation with Ann Francke OBE: The building blocks of social mobility in the workplace

Wednesday 9th November, 1pm

Tomorrow we’ll be welcoming Ann Francke OBE, Chief Executive of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) to discuss the building blocks of social mobility – there’s still time to register if you’d like to attend.

Join us to find out more about how your organisation can develop a social mobility strategy, what the initial steps you can take are, and how leaders in your organisation can ensure they’re creating a culture where all employees can thrive, regardless of background. 

Register now to attend ‘The building blocks of social mobility in the workplace’.

Ahead of the event, we spoke to Ann about why having an inclusive organisational culture is so important, and what practical actions employers can take to boost workplace inclusion. You can read Ann’s blog on our website

 

Hear more from the SMC:

 

This week (7th-11th November) is Lifelong Learning Week – a celebration of the power of learning to transform people’s lives. Coordinated by Festival of Learning, it is a week of activity which aims to celebrate the benefits of lifelong learning and inspire more adults to learn.

As part of our celebration of Lifelong Learning Week, Alun Francis, Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility Commission and Principal and Chief Executive of Oldham College, talked to us about why lifelong learning is important, and what we can do to support adults to learn.

See what he had to say in our latest blog. 

 

In case you missed it:

 

  • New research from BDO has found that a third of young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds believe a lack of network or connections in their chosen field could have a negative impact on their career prospects. If you want to improve socio-economic diversity in your organisation, check out our Toolkits, which are full of practical tips. Our Organisation Directory also contains details of a variety of organisations offering work experience, mentoring and networking opportunities to young people. 
  • The Sutton Trust published their new ‘Speaking Up’ report, looking at accents and social mobility. The report found that many people with accents perceived as being working-class fear their careers might suffer because of how they speak. Our ‘Let’s Talk About Class’ resources can help you start a conversation about socio-economic inclusion in your workplace.
  • To celebrate National Mentoring Day (27th October), we brought together an engaging panel to explore the importance of mentoring in supporting workplace progression and social mobility, and discuss their advice for setting up and participating in a mentoring programme. If you missed it, you can find the recording and recap on our website