pro-manchester: Apprenticeships – A Golden Ticket for Social Mobility?
Friday, 5th May 2023Written by Melissa Dixon (Apprentice Solicitor at Weightmans LLP) and Joanne Williams (Legal Director at Weightmans LLP, member of the pro-manchester Social Mobility Committee).
pro-manchester recently partnered with national law firm Weightmans, with Weightmans hosting a Pro-Manchester Social Mobility Committee panel event at its Manchester office: “Apprenticeships – A Golden Ticket for Social Mobility?”
The inspiring panellists included Fabian Murray, an Apprentice Solicitor at DLA Piper, Steph Tickle, Employment & Opportunities Lead and Shamaine Armstrong, Head of Youth Engagement from Leadership Through Sport & Business (LTSB), who work with young people accessing apprenticeships through their organisation. They were also joined by John Bowden, Managing Director at Atec Engineering Solutions and a former apprentice. The session was facilitated by Tamsin Danby, Senior Manager in Community Impact at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Chair of the Pro-Manchester Social Mobility Committee. Fabian and Steph also sit on the Committee.
The panellists considered the difficulties prospective apprentices from disadvantaged/less privileged backgrounds might face when making applications, whilst also discussing what more employers can do to provide assistance and improve social mobility using apprenticeship programmes.
Challenges
Apprenticeships are often regarded as a way to improve social mobility, but the opportunities are not necessarily being accessed by the breadth of young people they are designed to reach. We are perhaps not seeing the workforce diversify from apprenticeships in the way it had been hoped.
It was said that one of the main challenges that many young people face is that they have not heard of apprenticeship opportunities, or of the companies offering them – the information is not reaching them. Even when this basic information does, recruitment processes adopted by employers are not assisting young people. The consensus from the panel was that employers are not being transparent and open enough about what roles actually entail day to day, or what they are looking for in applicants. The application process is often rigorous and difficult to follow. Young people can struggle to navigate this, particularly those who are without support at home, with nobody to ask.
Top Tips for Employers
Top tips from the panel included:
- Make yourself visible and approachable. Look for ways to target the young people you want to access your apprenticeship through relatable platforms such as TikTok and working with social mobility organisations such as LTSB.
- Advertise appropriately and provide insight. The job description needs to be digestible to the demographic you are targeting. Be careful that it is not too corporate. Be clear and specific in what you are looking for. Don’t overcomplicate it! Help applicants understand what the role looks like for them on a day to day basis and learn about the firm’s culture and the environment they will be working in.
- Be fair and ensure that the package you are offering is realistic in terms of pay and progression. Often young people from socio-economically diverse backgrounds cannot afford to take on a role that does not pay the real living wage as they may not have any financial support from family.
- Look at your selection process, does it address all the barriers young people might face? Is it really looking for potential and appropriately putting value on experience and skills rather than grades. Explain to candidates how to show the skills you want from them during the application process.
- Be aware of the issues apprentices might face – for example, some young peoples’ home situation means that they may struggle to find a quiet place to carry out an online virtual interview. Train team managers on the challenges for apprentices coming into your business.
- Champion current apprentices within your business. It can be very powerful and inspiring for students to see and hear what they could achieve from people with similar backgrounds to them. Offer mentoring schemes.
- Work with your apprentices to make your apprenticeship programme and their experience on it is the best it can be. Be willing to change your approach and take advice when it comes to apprenticeship programmes, employers can’t always get it right first time!
The panel also shared their advice for apprentices, encouraging them to build their personal brands and expand their networks, take opportunities, push for experiences and be brave, ask questions and provide constructive suggestions to employers. Be confident and put yourself out there. Assist with the education piece around apprenticeships, go to your schools/colleges, tell students there about your success and be an advocate for apprenticeship programmes.
Apprenticeships certainly have the potential to drive social mobility and are having a positive impact but the general consensus in the room was that more could be done, with reference to the top tips shared above, to help build a truly diverse workforce with real prospects for the future.
If you would like any more information regarding the event, please do get in touch with members of the Pro-Manchester Social Mobility Committee.
Written by Melissa Dixon (Apprentice Solicitor at Weightmans LLP) and Joanne Williams (Legal Director at Weightmans LLP, member of the pro-manchester Social Mobility Committee).