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MAKE YOU PLEDGE
THE SOCIAL MOBILITY PLEDGE IS A COALITION OF 600 BUSINESSES EMPLOYING OVER SEVEN MILLION PEOPLE, AS WELL AS 50 UNIVERSITIES REPRESENTING ALMOST 2 MILLION STUDENTS.
Make Your Pledge
Organisations taking steps to boost opportunity and social mobility is more important than ever as Britain faces the challenges of a growing opportunity gap in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The campaign was co-founded by Rt Hon Justine Greening - drawing especially on her experience as United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women & Equalities - and entrepreneur David Harrison, Chairman of True Potential in Newcastle. Signing up to the Social Mobility Pledge represents a powerful and pioneering shift towards being a truly purpose-led organisation which is committed to social mobility through outreach, access and recruitment. In April 2018, True Potential became one of the first companies in the UK to sign the national Social Mobility Pledge. Other large businesses and universities have since signed up, including Persimmon, Direct Line Group, bp, University of York, Staffordshire University and the University of Northampton.
As part of its work the Pledge encourages businesses to reach out to schools or colleges to provide coaching through quality careers advice, enrichment experience and mentoring to people from disadvantaged backgrounds or circumstances. True Potential, as an example, helped to create a school that could set disadvantaged people on the path to success. Through its sister organisation, the Harrison Centre for Social Mobility (HCSM), a sports and education facility was set up at the Beacon of Light in Sunderland. A programme run by HCSM at the centre aims to complement core skills in maths and English to inspire a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs – and provide support and education for those that need it most. The Beacon is located in Sunderland Central parliamentary constituency which is ranked 24th out of the 29 North East constituencies for social mobility according to a report by the House of Commons Library. In terms of youth social mobility, it is ranked 357th out of 533 English constituencies, placing it in the bottom third nationally. The Harrison Centre at the Beacon hosts workshops which give teenagers and young people the skills, confidence and experience necessary to get on in the world of work. Equal access to opportunities for everyone is another barrier to upward social mobility. The Pledge works with organisations to provide structured work experience and apprenticeship opportunities to people from disadvantaged backgrounds or circumstances. The Pledge commits organisations to being a force for good by putting social mobility at the heart of their purpose. One way in which they can do this is by adopting fair recruitment policies, meaning that a person’s upbringing does not influence hiring decisions. True Potential and many others that have signed the Social Mobility Pledge use an approach known as name-blind recruitment. This ensures talent, effort and determination is rewarded, not the candidate’s connections or background. This policy is an extra safeguard against the risk of unfair bias for one candidate over another. By signing the Social Mobility Pledge organisations will be joining a strong coalition of 600 purpose-led leaders who are serious about change. Anyone taking these steps to boost opportunity and social mobility is playing a part in closing the growing opportunity gap in the wake of Covid-19.
Signing up to the Pledge is free and straightforward. To find out more visit www.socialmobilitypledge.org
