October 2, 2023 | Paula Kemp

Employers’ Masterclass: Data – Addressing the challenges and understanding the opportunities

Alongside other diversity data, do you collect the socio-economic background of your employees?  If the answer is no, not yet, or ‘we’re trying to’ – then this masterclass is for you.  As an employer, data is one of the most important tools you have to understanding and improving diversity in your workplace, including social mobility.  In this masterclass, we will be joined by Hollie Crompton, Social Mobility Lead at PwC, who will discuss their journey in collecting and improving their socio-economic data, and the steps PwC has taken to enable them to be in a position to now publish socio-economic background targets by grade in their most recent Annual report.  

May 4, 2023 | Paula Kemp

Employers’ Masterclass: Let’s talk about Class

In organisations across the UK, there are conversations about the importance of diversity and inclusion going on at every level in your workforce – but whilst this may address the experiences of different groups in the modern workforce, there’s a strong chance that class and socio-economic background (SEB) isn’t yet being discussed.  

Our next employer masterclass will explore what a healthy, inclusive conversation about class and socio-economic background looks like, and how you can help everyone in your workplace to get involved. 

May 3, 2023 | Paula Kemp

Employers’ Masterclass: Using the new SMC Data Explorer tool to drive regional change

Employers play a key role in social mobility outcomes for many.  They determine where they set up their business, the types of job roles they create, and how and who they recruit; the income set by employers impacts living standards, pension contributions, as well as spending power in their local economy; they also play an important role in the health and wellbeing of employees. However, with each part of the UK having an individual identity, history and economy, impacting its local population and their opportunities, the challenges to social mobility, and the solutions, may differ from region to region. 
That’s where we think the use of our new Data Explorer tool can help – join us at this event to find out how employers can utilise our new tool to understand their workforce distribution, provide insight for outreach activity and hiring activity, and to serve and support regional communities. 

March 8, 2023 | Felicity Hallam

Employers’ Masterclass: Outreach and social mobility

Our May masterclass will cover how employers can use outreach to build an inclusive recruitment pipeline from the ground up, reaching and attracting a wide pool of talent. Engaging with candidates from a low socio-economic background through outreach enables you to: raise awareness of your organisation and industry to a wider reach of prospective employees […]

February 15, 2023 | Paula Kemp

Employers’ Masterclass: Accents in the Workplace

Accent is not directly relevant to work outputs.  To get hired, or to get ahead in your organisation, you would think that what you say – rather than how you say it – would be the most important factor.  However research does not reflect this. Join us at our April masterclass to explore how you can raise awareness of the issue of accent bias in your own organisation and what steps you can take to ensure that the focus is on the knowledge and skills of the employee or candidate, and not their accent.

February 10, 2023 | Felicity Hallam

Employers’ Masterclass: The art of using storytelling to build inclusion

At the heart of every organisation is its people – all with a personal story to share that shapes and defines them.  Harnessing the power of personal storytelling as part of your Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) strategy is an effective way to build inclusion into your workplace culture and gain the trust of your employees […]

January 10, 2023 | Social Mobility Commission

Employers’ Masterclass: Using Apprenticeships to improve social mobility and build skills for life

Our next masterclass will explore the role of apprenticeships and how they can drive social mobility and develop skills for individuals and the workforce. Employers and training providers rely on apprenticeship schemes to provide new opportunities, upskill people from inside and outside their organisation and contribute to a more innovative, inclusive workforce. One of the […]

November 23, 2022 | Felicity Hallam

Employers’ Masterclass: Using workforce data to understand and improve social mobility

As an employer, data is one of the most important tools you have to understanding and improving diversity in your workplace, including social mobility. However, many employers report that collecting socio-economic data remains their biggest challenge. Collecting relevant and high quality data is necessary when challenging social mobility for a number of reasons. It allows […]

October 25, 2022 | Felicity Hallam

Employer Event: T Levels: What, why, where and how?

Keen to explore different ways of reaching a widening talent pool for your early in career hires?  T Levels may be just what you are looking for.   T Levels are an alternative to A levels and other further education courses. Equivalent to 3 A levels, a T Level focuses on vocational skills and can help […]

October 12, 2022 | Social Mobility Commission

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

In our next event for employers we will be exploring the building blocks of social mobility with Ann Franke OBE, Chief Executive of the Chartered Management institute (CMI). Through our conversation with Ann, we will explore: how organisations can develop an social mobility strategy; the initial steps organisations should take to kickstart their socio-economic diversity journey; the role of senior leaders and managers in boosting inclusion and widening opportunities; how to ensure your organisation is an environment where all staff can thrive, regardless of background

August 31, 2022 | Paula Kemp

Social Mobility Employers Masterclass: Mentoring as a tool to support social mobility

To celebrate National Mentoring Day (27 October), our October employers’ masterclass will explore the importance of mentoring in supporting workplace progression and social mobility.
Mentoring partnerships can range from a localised, informal arrangement to a highly organised, official programme that spans across industries. Participants in mentoring programmes range from students from lower socio-economic backgrounds being matched with employees from a particular industry, to senior leaders being matched with junior members of staff in reverse mentoring programmes.

August 10, 2022 | Paula Kemp

The importance of culture and leadership – in conversation with I. Stephanie Boyce, President of the Law Society

The importance of culture and leadership to within an organisation to support social mobility cannot be underestimated. In conversation with I. Stephanie Boyce, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, we’ll be discussing how organisations can develop a culture that fosters inclusion and the role colleagues at all levels play.

May 9, 2022 | Rachael Cochrane

Social Mobility Employers Masterclass: Data – what, why and how?

Masterclass: Data – what, why and how? Event date: Tuesday 28 June 2022 11:00 – 12:00 1 hour webinar In the June edition of our employers masterclass series, we will be exploring Data. No matter where you are as an organisation on your journey to build inclusion in your workforce, data is key for you […]

May 3, 2022 | Rachael Cochrane

Social Mobility Employers Masterclass: Apprenticeships

Don’t miss: Employers social mobility masterclass: Apprenticeships – Tuesday, 31 May (11am-12pm) Our next masterclass will explore the role of apprenticeships and how they can drive social mobility.  Employers and training providers rely on apprenticeship schemes to provide new opportunities, upskill people from inside and outside their organisation and contribute to a more innovative, inclusive […]

March 24, 2022 | Rachael Cochrane

Social mobility employers masterclass: How to talk about class in the workplace

How do you talk openly about class in the workplace? In all likelihood, there’s an important conversation about the importance of diversity and inclusion going on at every level in your workforce and across your industry, too. But with many workplaces openly discussing the experiences of different groups in the modern workforce, there’s a strong […]

August 24, 2021 | Rachael Cochrane

Be inspired to make the change – Socio-economic inclusion in the Creative Industries

Attracting and retaining a wide and diverse talent pool is a must for any forward-thinking team.  Yet those from privileged backgrounds are more than twice as likely as those from working class backgrounds to land a job in a creative occupation, dominating key creative roles in the sector.   What goes on in the creative sector […]

July 8, 2021 | Alice Viner

Employers’ masterclass: Social Mobility, Culture and Leadership

Our latest masterclass puts culture and leadership under the spotlight to explore how employers can forge a compelling, shared vision of the importance of social mobility in any organisation.