Youth Ambassador Meg has written about the challenges young people from less privileged backgrounds may face, and how we can support them in overcoming these obstacles.
With rising tuition fees, universities have once again come under fire for potentially dissuading young people from less-privileged background to apply. Despite this, the full-time undergraduate students from the poorest households are actually increasing.
It could be argued that this means we are approaching a more equal society, where your background is irrelevant and hard work is rewarded. An undergraduate degree is surely a ticket to more opportunities. Unfortunately, this is still not quite the case. Graduates who were educated at independent schools still dominate top jobs in law, politics, medicine and journalism. Even recent graduates from poor backgrounds, although likely to be employed, are less likely to be employed in graduate occupations.
So why are less-privileged graduates unable to get the best jobs? It’s certainly not their results; evidence suggests that state school students get better degrees than independently educated students with the same A-Level results. It appears that employers value and are looking for non-academic capabilities that undergraduates from less-privileged backgrounds tend to lack and struggle to build; from soft skills to networks, knowledge to professional experience such as internships. Importantly, candidates need to be able to demonstrate and discuss these capabilities.
I spoke to Jade Azim, a Programme Coordinator at UpReach. UpReach runs a programme of support for hundreds of students from less-privileged backgrounds to give them the same opportunities as their wealthier and more-connected peers. Jade explains that barrier is known as ‘the class ceiling’. “It pertains to a phenomenon where, even if a young person has the same academic achievements as their richer peers they face obstacles of ‘unconscious bias’ and differentials in terms of soft skills.” So how can we work to ensure young people have equal opportunity to progress regardless of their background?
- Networking is key; individuals may not have access to these networks due to their backgrounds. “Employers favour people ‘like them’: the old cliché about ‘who you know’ is unfortunately very true.” It is not just about being offered the job, talking to people who are working in the sector they’re interested in can help young people clarify their ideas and give them tips on where to find opportunities. This is particularly relevant for ‘top professions’ where less privileged graduates may not know anyone in that sector. Furthermore, networking allows young people to discuss ideas and in some cases raise their profile within a professional setting. By doing this they may make useful contacts and find out about opportunities that have not been advertised.
- This is where organisations and employers can help by considering things like mentoring or offering work placements to students in more disadvantaged areas.
- Soft skills like CV building and conducting yourself in an interview are often taught in more privileged households and schools at an early age.” Young people can develop these soft skills in a number of ways. Joining sport teams, fundraising for local causes, organising events, and getting involved in extra-curricular activities at university all develop soft skills which should be recognised by employers.
- Offer young people advice, encourage them to get involved in extra-curricular activities, but also ensure you create a space where they don’t feel pressured to mimic middle class culture – encourage them to build their ‘grit’ and resilience. Recognise their merits and talents against the odds.
- Young people can sign up to the free YEUK Young Professional programme to develop ‘soft skills’ like teamwork, organisation, and resilience.
This is a societal issue. “Our task is to alleviate the deficits in both of these” Jade states, “by building the skills of undergraduates to create a level playing field, and by promoting social diversity and awareness in the workplace.”
UpReach is a social mobility scheme for graduates where we can help develop your skills. UpReach help with CVs, mentoring, insight days and a whole lot more. Consider getting involved!
