BlogRecap

January 24, 2023 | Social Mobility Commission

Recap: Using workforce data to understand and improve social mobility

As an employer, data is one of the most important tools you have for understanding and improving diversity in your workplace, including social mobility. However, many employers report that collecting socio-economic data remains their biggest challenge. In our latest masterclass we explored the importance of collecting relevant and high quality data, including practical advice such […]

Blog

January 17, 2023 | Social Mobility Commission

Employer blog: Using data to improve socio-economic inclusion

Data is one of the most important tools you have to understand and improve diversity in your workplace. Any forward-looking socio-economic diversity and inclusion strategy begins with data. Collecting the right data, and knowing what to do with it, will help to shape your plans at every stage. However, many employers report that collecting socio-economic […]

Employer Newsletter

January 12, 2023 | Paula Kemp

Employer newsletter – 12 January 2023

If you want to receive regular updates from us, please complete this form here to join our mailing list. We are delighted that Alun Francis OBE is to be the new Interim Chair of the Social Mobility Commission following Katharine Birbalsingh’s decision to step down as Chair. Alun was previously Deputy Chair of the SMC and we look […]

Employer Newsletter

December 13, 2022 | Paula Kemp

Employer newsletter – 12 December 2022

If you want to receive regular updates from us, please complete this form here to join our mailing list. There’s been lots going on in the social mobility world recently, from the recent launch of our new Employer Advisory Group to last week’s release of the 2022 Social Mobility Employer Index. We’re busy planning our 2023 employer […]

Blog

December 5, 2022 | Social Mobility Commission

Recap: T Levels: What, why, where and how?

T Levels are a new alternative to A levels and other further education courses in England. Equivalent to 3 A levels, a T Level focuses on vocational skills and can help students into employment, higher education or apprenticeships. Each T Level includes an in-depth industry placement that lasts at least 45 days, so students spend […]

News

November 29, 2022 | Social Mobility Commission

Announcing our new Employer Advisory Group

The Social Mobility Commission has today announced the membership of its new Employer Advisory Group (EAG).  The Employer Advisory Group has been put in place to drive social mobility in the workplace in the UK and support the Commission’s employer focused programme of work.  The role of the EAG will be to:  Influence the future […]

Blog

November 14, 2022 | Social Mobility Commission

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

We recently launched our new ‘Building Blocks Toolkit’, which provides simple, first-step guidance to help businesses and organisations of all sizes, up and down the country, access a wealth of untapped talent and kickstart their socio-economic diversity strategy.  On 9th November we were delighted to be joined by Ann Francke OBE, Chief Executive of the […]

Employer Newsletter

November 10, 2022 | Social Mobility Commission

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 […]

Blog

November 8, 2022 | Social Mobility Commission

Lifelong Learning – how can we support adults to learn?

Lifelong Learning Week (7th-11th November) is 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 […]

Blog

November 1, 2022 | Social Mobility Commission

Employer blog: Increasing social mobility through management and leadership culture

Socio-economic inclusion is not solely the domain of big corporate businesses with large HR departments. It’s about helping businesses and organisations of all sizes, up and down the country, to access a wealth of untapped talent. Don’t worry if you are only just getting started with this agenda – even the most inclusive employers need to […]

Blog

October 31, 2022 | Social Mobility Commission

Recap: Mentoring as a tool to support social mobility

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 watch the recording below, and read on for our top […]

Blog

October 24, 2022 | Social Mobility Commission

Employer blog: Taking small steps with mentoring

October 27th marks the ninth National Mentoring Day, an opportunity to raise awareness of the benefits of mentoring and encourage more people to get involved!  We know that mentoring can play a key role in supporting workplace progression, and we’re delighted to be running a masterclass on October 27th, exploring ‘Mentoring as a tool to […]

Blog

October 14, 2022 | Social Mobility Commission

Employer blog: National T-Levels Week

The first ever National T Levels Week is running from 10th-14th October, celebrating T Levels and the benefits they bring to both young people and businesses. 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 students […]

Employer Newsletter

October 13, 2022 | Paula Kemp

Employer newsletter – 12 October 2022

If you want to receive regular updates from us, please complete this form here to join our mailing list. Hello,  This week’s newsletter is packed full of masterclasses! The recap and recording of our recent conversation with I. Stephanie Boyce is now available for those who missed it, and registration is now open for our November masterclass […]

Blog

October 12, 2022 | Social Mobility Commission

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

An organisation’s culture – the behaviours, values and practices that shape the everyday experiences of its staff – is key to a truly diverse and inclusive workforce. Simply employing people from a variety of backgrounds does not guarantee an inclusive culture, but what steps can you take to ensure that everyone feels valued and supported […]

EventsNews

Employer Consultation

Thanks to everyone who attended the launch of our new Employer Consultation. It was great to see so many of you there, and we look forward to receiving your responses!  The consultation is now live, and will be open until 24th October 2022. We want to understand what activities and interventions employers are finding most […]

Employer Newsletter

September 21, 2022 | Paula Kemp

Employer newsletter – 21 September 2022

If you want to receive regular updates from us, please complete this form here to join our mailing list. Hello, We have a very busy calendar coming up, and we hope you’ll be able to join us at one of the following events! There’s still time to sign up for the launch of our Employer […]

Employer Newsletter

September 1, 2022 | Paula Kemp

Employer newsletter – 01 September 2022

We’re preparing for a lot of exciting events in the coming months, including the launch of our brand new Building Blocks Toolkit, which will help organisations of all sizes to kickstart their socio-economic diversity strategy.  We’re also launching our new Employer Consultation, and we want you to get involved. Find out more about how you […]

Blog

July 15, 2022 | Paula Kemp

State of the Nation 2022 report – key insights

Our recently published State of the Nation 2022 report contains key insights on the state of social mobility right now in the UK. Using an innovative set of metrics, we were able to establish a new framework, the Social Mobility Index, to measure how socially mobile people are across the UK now, and in decades […]

Blog

June 30, 2022 | Paula Kemp

Recap- Employers Masterclass: Data – what, why and how?

Why start collecting socio-economic background data on your employees? What specific data should you collect? What does it show you?  How do you get started and how can you improve your response rates? In our latest Employers Masterclass, we discussed the importance of collecting socio-economic background (SEB) data and how it is key to understanding […]

News

June 23, 2022 | Paula Kemp

State of the Nation 2022: A fresh approach to social mobility

Message from our Chair, Katharine Birbalsingh CBE and Deputy Chair, Alun Francis OBE: It is a great privilege for us to be writing this, as the new Chair and Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, on the day we publish our annual report on social mobility in the UK:  State of the Nation 2022: […]

Blog

June 17, 2022 | Paula Kemp

Alun Francis – what social mobility means to me

  Organised by social mobility charity Making the Leap, the first Social Mobility Awareness Day takes place on 16 June 2022.  The idea is to promote wider conversations about social mobility and to celebrate the organisations committed to bringing about positive change. Alun Francis, Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility Commission (SMC) and Principal and […]

Blog

June 17, 2022 | Paula Kemp

Employer blog: Darrell Sharpe, Aviva Investors

In celebration of Social Mobility Awareness Day, which took place on 16 June 2022, we are sharing stories from some of the organisations that are committed to bringing about positive change.   Our third blog comes from Darrell Sharpe, Junior Sovereign Analyst in the Emerging Market Debt, Aviva Investors telling his story of how accessing further […]

News

June 16, 2022 | Rachael Cochrane

Social Mobility Awareness Day: Findings from 2021 British Social Attitudes Survey

This week, the first Social Mobility Awareness Day takes place, designed to promote wider conversations about social mobility.   In light of this, Rosa Alonso, Senior Researcher at the Social Mobility Commission has been reviewing data from the 2021 British Social Attitudes Survey (BSAS).  Running for nearly 40 years, the survey is an important barometer of […]

Blog

June 16, 2022 | Paula Kemp

Employer blog: Maisha Rashid, Purchase Ledger Administrator, Jupiter Asset Management

In celebration of Social Mobility Awareness Day, which takes place on 16 June 2022, we are sharing stories from some of the organisations that are committed to bringing about positive change. Our second blog comes from Maisha Rashid, Purchase Ledger Administrator, Jupiter Asset Management telling her story of how undertaking an apprenticeship was the right […]

Blog

June 15, 2022 | Paula Kemp

Employer blog: Lennon Ball at Phoenix Group

In celebration of Social Mobility Awareness Day, which takes place on 16 June 2022, we are sharing stories from some of the organisations that are committed to bringing about positive change.   Our first blog comes from Lennon Ball, telling his story of how being employed at Phoenix through the recent Kickstart Scheme (a government-funded scheme […]

BlogEvents

Recap – Employers Masterclass: Apprenticeships

Employers and training providers rely on apprenticeship programmes to provide new opportunities, upskill people from inside and outside their organisation and contribute to a more innovative, inclusive workforce. In our latest masterclass we considered how an organisation’s early careers strategy could help access the most diverse pool of talent – and whether there’s more employers […]

BlogNews

April 28, 2022 | Rachael Cochrane

Recap – Employers Masterclass: How to talk about class in the workplace

How do you talk openly about class in the workplace? In our latest Employers Masterclass, we discussed the importance of having a workplace environment where employees can talk openly about their backgrounds –enabling employees to feel able to bring their whole selves to work.  Catch up on the session and read our key takeaways from […]

BlogNews

March 24, 2022 | SMC Admin

Recap – Employers Masterclass: Progression

How does someone successfully climb the career ladder in your workplace? In our first Employers Masterclass of 2022, we explored how employers can support employees to progress within their organisations by setting up clear frameworks, investing in training and supporting their career aspirations. Catch up on the session and read our key takeaways from Tuesday’s […]

News

February 7, 2022 | SMC Admin

National Apprenticeships Week 2022: Help build the (inclusive) future

This Week (7-11 February) is National Apprenticeship Week, a celebration of the role that apprenticeships play in helping people to learn new skills while gaining access to a vast range of different career paths and businesses.  This year’s theme is ‘build the future’. For both starters and the organisations they join, apprenticeships are stepping into […]

BlogNews

October 25, 2021 | SMC Admin

Recap – Employers masterclass: Outreach

Our October masterclass looked at the ways in which employers can use Outreach to reach and attract a wide pool of talent. We were joined by Rachael Saunders and Funbi Akande from Speakers for Schools, a youth social mobility charity, formed in 2010 to make sure that every young person has access to the same […]

BlogNews

October 14, 2021 | SMC Admin

Apprenticeships & social mobility: you can help apprenticeships reach their social mobility potential

The Social Mobility Commission’s new toolkit: ‘Apprenticeships that works for all’ has been launched today (14 October). This blog explores the current apprenticeship landscape and sets out why we developed this toolkit. View the toolkit We hosted a virtual toolkit launch event on Thursday 14 October, where a panel of experts explore key challenges around […]

BlogNews

October 13, 2021 | SMC Admin

Event recap – Be inspired to make the change:  Practical advice from those within the creative industries 

Following our recent publication of our Employer’s Toolkit for building socio-economic inclusion in the creative industry – Farrah Storr, SMC Commissioner and Editor-in-Chief at ELLE UK – spoke with industry insiders to hear their experiences of the sector;  what responsibility individuals and organisations have to think differently about socio-economic inclusion, and how they think the […]

BlogNews

October 7, 2021 | SMC Admin

Long read: Pathways to success – how employer outreach programmes can help disadvantaged young people feel ‘career ready’

Increased productivity, better employee retention, improvements in employee wellbeing: the benefits of building a socio-economically diverse workforce and a workplace culture inclusive of those from low socio-economic backgrounds are becoming increasingly clear to many employers.  More and more businesses are removing barriers in their hiring processes and driving cultural change to ensure that those from […]

BlogNews

September 29, 2021 | SMC Admin

Tackling the #ClassCrisis in the creative industries: how Creative industries employers can promote socio-economic diversity and inclusion

The creative industries are among the United Kingdom’s most valuable sectors. Pre-pandemic, it was estimated that the creative industries employed over 2 million people, contribute £115.9bn to the UK economy and were growing four times faster than the economy as a whole.  The impact of employment, work experience and training opportunities on an individual’s life […]

Blog

September 21, 2021 | SMC Admin

Recap: Employers Masterclass – Social mobility, hiring and recruitment

In our latest masterclass (16 September), we put the focus on hiring and recruitment – exploring the common practices that can create artificial and unnecessary barriers to potential applicants from lower socio-economic backgrounds. We were delighted to be joined by Danny Matthews and Hazel Remeika from Co-op, who shared their approach to hiring in a […]

Blog

August 3, 2021 | SMC Admin

In-Work Progression Commission: why training and progression should matter to you and your staff – and how you can best support it

Earlier this month, the In-Work Progression Commission – led by Baroness McGregor-Smith – published their new report: Supporting progression out of low pay: a call to action.  The report is a vital addition to the conversation around barriers to training and progression for those working in low-paying roles. We know a substantial proportion of the […]

Events

State of the nation 2021: Social mobility and the pandemic – Launch event

On Thursday 22 July, we hosted a virtual event to launch our latest state of the nation report. When the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK in early 2020, it prompted an unprecedented social and economic crisis which saw teachers, pupils, employers and their workforces forced to adapt to remote provision overnight. Millions of employees were […]

BlogNews

July 20, 2021 | SMC Admin

State of the nation 2021: Post pandemic, employer practices will continue to be vital to progress on social mobility

Today, the Social Mobility Commission published its annual appraisal of social mobility in the UK’. Titled ‘State of the nation 2021; Social mobility and the pandemic’, the report draws on an extensive evidence base to lay bare the key barriers to social mobility that exist today. In this article, we outline the implications of the […]

Blog

July 5, 2021 | SMC Admin

Social Mobility Masterclass Recap: Leadership & Culture – Who’s driving the social mobility agenda in your workplace?

In our latest masterclass on Leadership & Culture, we were joined by Caroline King, Head of People for Head office, Reward and Inclusion and Joanne Mackie, Customer & People Director,  to reflect on their experiences of forging a compelling, shared vision of the importance of social mobility across Superdrug and Savers 18000+ workforce – and […]