Mears Group has been confirmed as one of the government’s Social Mobility Champions, following a 12-month assessment by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).Mears is one of just 11 UK companies to meet the challenging criteria set by BIS and the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.The other companies are Accenture, Aspire, Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, EY, Grant Thornton, KPMG, Linklaters, Standard Life and Telefonica.Social mobility is about giving young people equal chances in life, regardless of where they are born, the school they go to, or the jobs their parents do.As a Social Mobility Champion, Mears has committed to:
- widening the geographical availability of opportunities
- providing well-structured non-graduate entry routes
- considering grades and academic achievement in the context of the school or college attended when recruiting
- evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and processes
- monitoring, evaluating and publishing socio-economic background
- being an advocate for social mobility.
Executive Director for Mears, Alan Long, said: “Mears Group has always been a prominent supporter of social mobility, so we are extremely proud to be chosen as one of the government’s first Social Mobility Champions.“We work in some of the most marginalised communities in the UK, but we know that by working in partnership we can make a positive difference. Our Social Mobility Champion status reflects the many good things we already do in opening our doors to people from all walks of life, and we look forward to supporting other organisations to do the same.”Skills Minister Nick Boles said: “The Social Mobility Champions have risen to the challenge set by government and shown genuine commitment to bring about positive change. They have gone beyond just volunteering in schools or changing the way they advertise jobs; they have made social mobility a core part of their corporate strategy. I hope this will inspire other businesses to follow suit.”