World 2 Site: Access to the professions: why we started a social mobility enterprise

from opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum, Henry Morris and Dale Potter saw the need to address the difference in career

Henry Morris and I are at different ends of the socio-economic spectrum. While on a top independent school Henry and his companions were invited to join the club of accountants, lawyers and doctors grass - my complete hard to improvise a club carpentry, not to mention all of occupations selective. At the age of 16 years, Henry had completed work experience in various companies. A week at local bike shop should be enough for me.

Our funds have been different, but we met and became friends in college. There, we were struck by the contrasting aspirations and successes of securing the supply of graduate labor elusive among our peers. For us, these results were everything to chance. Best funds before, family and contacts parents who had "been there" were likely to be in a better chance. Without any fault of his own, the less privileged college started the race for top positions and later struggled to catch up.

Our personal experience is one thing, but what is the evidence? Studies by the University of Bristol and others have shown that students from less privileged backgrounds perform at least as well in school as their more privileged peers. For example, in Bristol for 88% of graduates of schools of education received a 2.1 or higher, against 85% of graduates trained independently. However, the achievement does not match well with results equal graduate, graduates from disadvantaged under current occupations compared to their more privileged peers. They also tend to earn less. Three and a half years after graduation, 33% of independently trained professionals earning more than £ 30,000, compared to 14% of the state vocational education

Student

as well in school, is it possible that different levels of knowledge, soft skills, networks and experience explain the difference in the results of studies? This is not a point on the recruitment process - we have come a long way since the absolute bias in the selection process of the past. But what if the best talent in our economy are not applicable to the professions and when they proportionally disappointing results against their potential?

Experience shows that there are differences in the level of the main non-academic skills needed to access, and we know that the professions themselves are not socially representative. For example, while only 7% of students attending private schools, 54% of executives in the UK and 70% of CFOs were educated separately.

reflect on our experiences, Henry and I knew there was a problem. Henry was well aware of the benefits that were on their way to jobs after graduation. For me, it is only through part-time job behind a desk in the office of the academic career that I really realized the extent of career opportunities open to graduates of any discipline. However, this problem has presented its own - how could make sense of all the different options available to me? The software run-chooser does not really help either: despite my degree in economics, one of them suggested that I should consider midwife. The simple fact is that the sources of knowledge was less for advice on careers that I envisioned.

Inspired by the emergence of social enterprise and its business focus to make a positive impact, we explored the question. The first step was to develop a concrete idea of ??how we can make a difference. After studying third sector, government, universities and programs of the company, it became clear that there was no comprehensive program that supports students who have overcome obstacles to achieve the university to realize their career potential. In fact, it appeared that the impact of social background on transition from college to the professions was the least explored area of ??the equality agenda in general. one hand, to be the vanguard of this reflection was exciting - secondly, the challenge of explaining the importance of employers' social context has not always been easy. Some were skeptical, suggesting that barriers do not exist and that the selection process was fair was sufficient in itself. Others have recognized that, in the fight for the best students, recruiters have lost the best talent - many of which have demonstrated incredible resilience and adaptability to go to university

Universities

quickly recognized that to ensure that students from less privileged backgrounds to realize their career potential was a natural extension of its efforts to broaden participation. In fact, in the world of £ 9k fees, many universities have agreed to this extension in their Offa agreements. few months earlier, Henry and I had full-time jobs. Our time is limited, the generation of ideas has been slow, and the development of new connections was meticulous. Soon our separate ways.

Dale Potter and Henry Morris are the founders of