Senior Business Development Manager
Cranfield Online
Social mobility in the UK remains low, meaning there is much less chance of someone from an underprivileged background achieving the same professionally and personally as someone from a higher socioeconomic background.
In an age where technology and global connectivity have widened opportunities for many people, making it possible to live, learn and work in the ways – and locations – that work for us, it is easy to forget that where someone grew up or what their parents did for a living still prevents some people from realising their true potential.
And yet, sadly, that is very much still the case for a great many people.
However, those employers whose eyes are open can take steps to reverse the problem, proactively putting in place strategies – including through targeted learning and development initiatives – that seek to level the playing field.
Social mobility in the UK: Background still trumps potential
What is social mobility? The term ‘social mobility’ refers to the ability of people from underprivileged backgrounds to break the boundaries of the social class into which they were born, attaining higher socioeconomic status by fulfilling their potential.
In the UK, successive prime ministers have pledged to give everyone the opportunity to succeed and make the most of their talents. However, the UK still lags behind many of our compatriots in Europe when it comes to education, access to technology, healthcare, social protection and employment opportunities for those from disadvantaged backgrounds (Source: World Economic Forum, Global Social Mobility Index 2020).
How employers can boost social mobility
After completing formal education, entering full-time employment represents the next opportunity to improve occupational and income mobility. Even if they did not do particularly well at school, joining the workforce represents a second chance for people to realise their full potential, escaping the limitations of their background or circumstances.
By undertaking further learning and development, progressing through the ranks and taking on more complex duties, those from low income, working-class backgrounds can attain high income, professional occupations, affording their dependents a better standard of living and wider opportunities than they themselves experienced growing up.
However, for this to happen, employers need to be actively working to overcome the bias. By providing development opportunities at all levels of their organisation and removing barriers to participation, businesses can help to level the playing field, ensuring.
Social mobility: An employer imperative
Intervening to actively help your employees improve their social mobility isn’t just the right thing to do. Research suggests it could boost your profitability, improve creativity and problem-solving, enable greater innovation and build a happier, more loyal workforce.
By rooting out and investing in talent, wherever it lies, employers can encourage the diversity of thinking they need to thrive into the future.
In 2021, the Government’s Social Mobility Barometer looked at public opinion on social mobility in the UK. It found people increasingly looking to employers to take action on social mobility. Some 42% of those surveyed (up from 31% two years earlier) wanted to see employers actively working to make a difference. Among ethnic minorities in the UK, the percentage was 58%.
Attitudes to social mobility: UK
- 4 in 5 adults (79%) believe there is a large gap between different social classes.
- 74% think there are large differences in opportunities across Britain.
- 42% of those aged 25 to 49 say it is getting harder for people from less advantaged families to move up in British society.
Today’s employees want to work for an employer that does good and shares their values. If they are concerned about social mobility in the UK, employers should be too.
Improving social mobility: Strategies for success
Unlocking social mobility in an organisation requires concerted action on several fronts.
In its report Playing to our strengths: Unlocking social mobility for economic good, employer membership organisation The 5% Club set out several strategic priorities for increasing social mobility. Included in these were the following suggestions to employers:
- Strengthening links with schools and colleges, increasing access to the workplace, mentors and work experience placements.
- Examining recruitment processes to remove unnecessary requirements for degree-level qualifications for non-graduate roles.
Beyond this focus on bringing those from lower socio-economic backgrounds into the organisation, employers should also work with existing employees – and with new recruits once in post – to develop them professionally and personally to enable them to reach their full potential.
Improving social mobility: Learning and development initiatives that work for everyone
Improving social mobility within the workforce requires designing and implementing learning and development initiatives that do not exclude anyone from participation.
Requisites such as high entry requirements, lengthy time commitments, in-person or off-site learning, set timescales, or the need to contribute financially, can all be off-putting for employees and can easily exclude those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Instead of one-size-fits-all programmes, employers benefit from building individual employee development plans with bespoke learning pathways that encompass targeted upskilling and reskilling.
With this in mind, a new breed of accessible, inclusive mini-qualification is on the rise. Fast growing in popularity worldwide, ‘micro-credentials’ are short courses that are often online, on-demand and self-paced – and may frequently be combined together to achieve higher-level qualifications, including degrees. This makes them ideal for those unused to studying, without a degree, and/or with limitations on their available time or ability to travel – characteristics that apply to many from low income backgrounds.
The targeted nature of micro-credentials enables them to be quickly and easily deployed as and when needed to upskill or re-skill individual employees at relatively low cost, enabling organisations to adapt to changing business needs and individual workers to be developed to reach their full potential within their organisation.
Alun Francis, Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, has called on organisations to think beyond established, formal qualifications and embrace the wide variety of learning opportunities on the market today – including micro-credentials – to support their employees to develop their individual talents and progress out of low pay. Speaking on the topic, he said: “I believe that extending high-quality learning and training opportunities to adults of all ages must play a central role in creating a society which works to match everyone to roles that they are both good at, and enjoy.”
At 老司机福利社, our online stackable courses are a flexible, accessible and inclusive way to develop your individual employees – whatever their start in life. To find out more about how these micro-credentials could help your organisation overcome social barriers and invest in the talent and drive needed to succeed, view our course portfolio or book a consultation with our team.
