Firms urged to back working-class talent as £19billion growth lost annually

The Sun

3 days ago

DO you believe the only way is up – and that you can land a better job than your parents?
Today is Social Mobility Day and a chance to chase that dream.
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It highlights the companies and charities helping working-class people to climb the career ladder and build life opportunities.
But with a challenging economic climate and AI taking over many entry-level professional roles, times are tough.
Last year the Institute for Fiscal Studies said social mobility at work was its worst for 50 years, while a report from think tank Demos and the Co-Op found this is setting back economic growth by £19billion a year — and so reducing tax revenue too.
Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO of the Co-op, said: 'This is an important moment in the UK's productivity debate and puts social mobility at the heart of that discussion. The benefits are too great an economic prospect to ignore.'
With many organisations cutting back on diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives, championing talent from less advantaged backgrounds has never been more vital.
Consultants McKinsey suggest organisations that are more socio-economically diverse can outperform rivals by as much as 36 per cent — so it makes sound business sense too.
Tunde Banjoko OBE, from the charity Making The Leap, which organises Social Mobility Day, is ­urging firms to 'shift mindsets' and look at the benefits of a more varied workforce.
Career fairs
He says: 'Social mobility is about investing in a breadth of perspectives and skills, giving firms an edge and empowering individuals from less advantaged backgrounds to overcome im­poster syndrome.'
Here are Making The Leap's tips to rocket-launch your upwardly mobile career . . .
1. YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR NET WORTH
1. YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR NET WORTH: Start expanding yours. Go to career fairs, your local Jobcentre Plus or skills organisations such as ­Making The Leap.
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Also tap into family and friends if they can provide help and advice — or perhaps know who might be able to.
2. IF YOU DON'T HAVE EXPERIENCE, GET IT: Reach out to volunteer organisations, as well as charity shops and volunteer websites.
3. UPSKILL YOURSELF: Practise public-speaking and presenting — even just reading things out to your family can help to build confidence.
4. DON'T WAIT, DO IT: Want to get into marketing or content creation? Set up a TikTok profile. Want to do make-up? Start doing make-up now.
5. THE 'STAR' METHOD: If working on a job application or preparing for an interview, always think: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Also give examples that are not just work-related — and know your CV like the back of your hand.
6. GET RID OF ANY SELF-LIMITING BELIEFS: You are worthy — and deserve to be in the room.
HOW AIMING FOR SKY HAS PAID OFF
JOSHUA RUDDOCK landed his dream job as a football social media journalist at broadcaster Sky, thanks to help from social-mobility charity Making The Leap.
Joshua, 23, from Ealing, West London, said: 'So many people would assume a job at a place like Sky would be inaccessible to them, so they wouldn't even apply.
'I had applied twice before, but taking Making The Leap's ACE training programme, and their first-class support on a daily basis, led me to an apprenticeship at Paramount, which gave me critical experience to reapply to Sky.
'Without Making The Leap, I wouldn't have been at Sky this soon.
'To encourage more social mobility, we need to make sure companies are offering information, work experience and time to people from every background.
'Not only will this help open doors for more people to chase their dreams, it also increases talent levels.'
HELPING OUT CAN HELP YOU
IT'S National Volunteering Week and an opportunity to champion a good cause while also boosting your career.
More than three in five firms offer staff ways to help in the community but last year over 140million hours' worth of placements were unfilled, says the Royal Voluntary Service.
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DR SAM PARRETT is founder of goodformegoodforfe.co.uk, a site encouraging volunteering in further-education colleges.
Here she tells why volunteering can boost your job prospects . . .
1. IMPROVE YOUR CV: Volunteering shows employers you are proactive and committed. It can give you experience of the workplace and make your CV stand out, especially if you are starting out in employment or wanting to change careers
2. BUILD SKILLS: It develops communication and team-work, valued by all employers. Even just supporting a neighbour or helping at your child's school is valuable.
3. GROW YOUR CONFIDENCE: Trying something new and being part of a team can boost self-esteem. This will help prepare you for interviews and networking in future.
4. MAKE CONNECTIONS: You will meet people of all ages and walks of life, which can open doors to both training and jobs.
5. SHOW WHAT YOU STAND FOR: Employers want people with purpose, and volunteers tick that box.
6. BOOST MENTAL HEALTH: Helping others can leave you feeling less stressed, and happier about life.
JOB SPOT
PETROL station operator BP RETAIL has jobs on offer nationwide, including for assistant store managers and customer service assistants. See bpretailjobs.co.uk.
JOBS FOR THE TOTS
A NURSERY childcare chain is offering work experience to TODDLERS – after a new report revealed the qualities employers value most such as trust­worthiness, adaptability and teamwork, can be learnt from the very early years.
The Your Co-op Little Pioneers programme sees little ones help with caring for animals at Hoo Zoo in Telford, Shrops, and with welcoming visitors to Warwick Castle.
Bethany Patrick from Your Co-op Little Pioneers says: 'Early-years education is so much more than just childcare.
'Research shows the importance of skills developed during those formative years, including empathy, communi­ca­tion and teamwork, for ensuring the strongest start in life.'
JOB SPOT
GAMING chain GAME is recruiting for sales assistants, including casual staff, plus buyers. Search at frasers.group/careers/jobs.
HAPPY GO CLUCKY
FRIED chicken is the UK's ­fastest growing food market, worth £31.billion a year – and KFC is creating 7,000 new jobs, with major new investment in restaurants and suppliers.
They are looking for kitchen workers, restaurant managers, and front-of-house staff to improve customer experience.
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All new starters will benefit from training and development opportunities to support fast career progression.
Rob Swain, head of KFC UK & Ireland, said: 'We've been serving customers in the UK for 60 years but have never seen such strong demand as there is today.
'That's why we're doubling down with major investment.'
For more information, and to apply, see kfc.co.uk/careers.