Mission

upReach’s vision is of a society in which everybody has the opportunity to demonstrate their full career potential, regardless of social background. Our mission is to create the conditions for undergraduates from less advantaged backgrounds to access and sustain top graduate jobs. We take a ‘double benefit’ approach to address the social mobility challenge. We help young people achieve their career potential by providing an intensive programme of support that addresses socio-economic barriers to employment. We also work to influence the hiring behaviours of top organisations so that a commitment to equal opportunity permeates their organisational culture and they recognise the social and economic value of greater diversity within their workforce.

Category

Disability

Additional Information

upReach was founded in 2012 on a simple premise of fairness - equal access to top jobs regardless of social background. Even in 2016 social background continues to drive graduate outcomes and access to the top professional jobs. Despite the fact state schools educate 93% of the UK population, they represent only 30% of the graduate intake at many top employers. Time again we find that social and cultural capital are greater determinants than academic credentials on whether young people secure jobs.  For young people from less advantaged backgrounds, socioeconomic barriers block access to knowledge, networks, the development of soft skills and work/extra-curricular experience. Fewer relationships with professionals means difficulty procuring relevant work experience, under-resourced schools means poorer provision of career support and guidance, less resource means less access to extra-curricular activities; vital for well-rounded applications. Research also indicates that at university, students from less-advantaged backgrounds are less likely to participate in extra-curricular activities which limits their development of soft skills. This acts as a barrier to the graduate recruitment ladder.