Blog

March 29, 2023 | Paula Kemp

Storytelling to support social mobility

Storytelling is a powerful tool to support your organisation’s social mobility strategy. It can help colleagues to understand the challenges others have faced, helps leaders to understand how they can help and promotes an inclusive, trust-based culture. Ahead of our employers’ masterclass ‘The art of using storytelling to build inclusion’ we asked Shannon Miller, from […]

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 […]

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 […]

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

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 […]

Blog

March 3, 2021 | SMC Admin

Reaching talented people from all backgrounds

On 25 February we held the second employers’ masterclass series of the year, exploring how you can reach, attract and foster a diverse pool of talent. Outreach is about attracting candidates who may not traditionally apply for roles within your organisation, yet could make a significant contribution in future. They may not have been to […]

Blog

February 15, 2021 | SMC Admin

Apprenticeships, a game-changer for social mobility

To mark National Apprenticeship Week 2021, we held a special event on 10 February exploring how apprenticeships can drive social mobility. In this session we looked at the positive impact they can have on your workforce, but also delved into some of the key challenges faced by employers in reaching a diverse pipeline of talent. […]

Blog

December 15, 2020 | SMC Admin

Social mobility masterclass for employers #6: Data

Data – the foundation of any diversity & inclusion strategy, with the Bridge Group In the last of our masterclass series on 3 December, we explored Data with the Bridge Group. This session followed the launch of our new guidance, which makes measuring socio-economic diversity in the workplace easier than ever – and we also […]

Blog

December 10, 2020 | SMC Admin

Explore our new resource for financial & professional services

We’re proud to announce the launch of our very first sector-specific toolkit – financial & professional services. Following months of consultation with trade groups, academics and leading employers in law, accountancy, management consultancies and financial services – this new toolkit provides unique insights into how best to level the playing field, whilst driving competitive advantage. […]

Blog

October 27, 2020 | SMC Admin

Social mobility masterclass for employers #4: Advocacy

Advocacy – becoming an advocate for change, with PWC The fourth session in our employers’ masterclass series, Advocacy, took place on 15 October. Our previous sessions covered outreach, hiring and culture & leadership. Advocacy with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) is about changing perceptions and striving for change beyond your organisation.  Once you have pin-pointed the commercial, as well […]

Blog

October 7, 2020 | SMC Admin

Social mobility masterclass for employers #3: Culture and leadership

Culture and Leadership – with Grant Thornton The third session in our employers’ masterclass series, Culture and Leadership, took place on 16 September. Inclusive teams make better business decisions 87% of the time – and twice as fast, delivering 60% better results; it makes sense for employers to nurture this talent. A diverse workforce is […]

Blog

October 1, 2020 | SMC Admin

New videos – top tips and inspiration for employers

Watch our videos to find out what socio-economic diversity can bring to your business and discover our top tips from the employers’ toolkit. As an employer, nothing is more important than the quality of your staff. Who you hire, how you hire and getting the best out of your people are the root of competitive […]

Blog

September 18, 2020 | SMC Admin

Social mobility masterclass for employers #4: Advocacy

Advocacy – becoming an advocate for change, with PWC Thursday 15 October 2020, 2pm Our fourth session in this masterclass series, Advocacy, with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) is about changing perceptions and striving for change beyond your organisation. Once you have pin-pointed the commercial, as well as the moral, arguments for increasing socio-economic diversity, it then becomes […]

Blog

September 10, 2020 | SMC Admin

Social mobility masterclass for employers #3: Leadership & Culture

Leadership and Culture – building a diverse workforce, with Grant Thornton Wednesday 16 September 2020, 3pm Our third session in this series, Leadership & Culture, with Grant Thornton, is all about building the foundations of a truly diverse and talented workforce. Inclusive teams make better business decisions 87% of the time – and twice as […]

Blog

August 18, 2020 | SMC Admin

Social mobility masterclass for employers #2: Hiring

Hiring the best talent, with Accenture Tuesday 25 August 2020, 3pm The second session in our employers’ masterclass series is Hiring, which is all about reaching talent – attracting individuals from less privileged backgrounds who may not traditionally apply for roles within your organisation, yet may be able to make a significant contribution in future. […]

News

July 8, 2020 | SMC Admin

SMC response to the Chancellor’s multi-billion pound “plan for jobs”

The Joint Deputy Chairs of the Social Mobility Commission, Steven Cooper and Sandra Wallace, have put out a joint statement in which they said the SMC welcomes the Chancellor’s multi-billion pound “plan for jobs” announced earlier today – in particular the targeted approach to supporting young people: “The current recession will hurt disadvantaged younger people […]

Blog

June 26, 2020 | SMC Admin

How to get the most out of apprenticeships – guide for employers

Apprenticeships are not only a useful way for individuals from less advantaged backgrounds to show their true potential, they are also a golden opportunity for you, as an employer, to nurture talent that is tailored to the needs of your business. Research shows that 43% of businesses with more a diverse workforce have higher profits […]

Events

UK Social Mobility Awards – entries close on 26 June

There is only one month left to submit entries to the UK Social Mobility Awards (SOMOs). The SOMOs celebrate the achievements of businesses and organisations across the country in their work of advancing social mobility. You have until 26 June to enter, with the awards gala being held in London on 8 October. Don’t miss […]