It is important we make use of the talents of all sections of our society, and that no-one is held back by their background. Better matching jobs to talent and promise, rather than indicators of privilege, is a win win for employers, as well as economic growth more generally. Who holds the most influential and well-paid positions in society also matters because their decisions affect our day-to-day lives. Yet young people from disadvantaged backgrounds still face significant barriers to accessing the most competitive careers, from politics and law, to medicine, finance and the creative industries.

5x

How much more likely Britain's most influential people are to have gone to fee-paying school.

29%

The proportion of senior managers from working class families have been mocked for their accent at work.

40%

The proportion of young people who have carried out an internship without pay.

How can we change this?

Our research has uncovered practical, evidence-based solutions to make sure all careers are open to the most talented people, regardless of their background or what school they attended.

An end to unpaid internships

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An end to unpaid internships

Internships are increasingly seen as a necessary step to start a career, yet we have found that these opportunities are all too often unpaid and recruited through informal networks, effectively putting them out of reach of many low income youngsters.

Unpaid internships over 4 weeks should be banned outright, and employers should look to pay all interns conducting substantive work. This should be accompanied with better enforcement of current minimum wage legislation.

Including class in policymaking

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Including class in policymaking

While in many cases the onus is on employers themselves, the government also has a role to play. Government should enact the ‘Socio-economic Duty’ clause of the Equality Act 2010, obligating public bodies to give due regard to how they can reduce the impact of socio-economic disadvantage.

They should also set up a review to evaluate adding class as a protected characteristic, which mean that negative treatment based on this characteristic would be prohibited and would result in further efforts to tackle discrimination of this kind.

Monitoring socio-economic diversity

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Monitoring socio-economic diversity

Monitoring socio-economic diversity is a crucial step that employers can take to improve social mobility in their workplace. Monitoring diversity can help an organisation to identify any gaps in access or progression, which in turn can help them to target any initiatives aiming to improve diversity.

Government should make reporting of socio-economic background (measured by parental occupational class) mandatory for businesses with over 250 employees. Large employers should also measure and publish their class pay gaps.

The Sutton Trust has published step-by-step guidance for employers on how to measure socio-economic diversity in our Employer’s guide to improving social mobility in the workplace.

Careers advice

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Careers advice

Good careers advice from an early age is crucial for allowing young people to make informed decisions about their next steps. This has never been more important than today, as the system is more complex to navigate with multiple education options and new career pathways. Yet we know there is a postcode lottery in the quality of guidance on offer, and those from the poorest backgrounds often have the least support.

High quality, impartial and timely careers advice should be available to young people from all backgrounds. All pupils should receive a guaranteed level of careers advice from professional independent advisers, with further support available for those facing disadvantage.

Our research on widening access to the workplace

In recent years, social mobility and socio-economic diversity in the workplace has begun to receive more attention from employers, with many starting to consider how they can make their organisation more accessible to people from different backgrounds.

To support employers wanting to create change, we produced a free guide with detailed advice on how to improve social mobility in the workplace, aimed both at those taking their first steps to improve socioeconomic diversity in their workforce, as well as giving practical tips and guidance for those who are already further into the process.

Read our Employer’s Guide

Our work to improve access to competitive careers

Our research has shown that power structures in Britain remain dominated by a narrow section of the population, with the most competitive careers out of reach for many people across the country.

Covering six key professions, our Pathways programmes are designed to give young people from less advantaged backgrounds the skills, networks, and opportunities to explore and break into their dream career.

Read about our Pathways programmes

Read about our other key priorities

Early years

Schools and colleges

Higher education

Apprenticeships