Covid pandemic has made social mobility more difficult, report finds

More than half of people across the West Midlands say the pandemic has made social mobility more difficult with women more likely to feel this compared with men.

More than half – 55 per cent – of people surveyed in the region also agree that those from lower socio-economic backgrounds have been further disadvantaged.

As the Government plans a post-pandemic catch-up to ensure those from the most deprived backgrounds and future generations are not further disadvantaged, PricewaterhouseCoopers' Driving Social Mobility research highlights the biggest barriers people face to reach their potential, and how the Government and businesses can help improve social inequalities.

Nationally the public lacks optimism for the prospects of future generations. Whilst 59 per cent say they have had more opportunities than their parents, only 52 per cent believe younger generations will have the same or better opportunities.

Across the generations, there are different views on barriers to social mobility. Those aged over 55 believe skills and education are the biggest barriers. Younger people aged between18 and 34 are more likely to see ethnicity and lack of a support network, gender, disabilities, and the place where people grow up as the biggest hurdles.

Respondents from ethnic minority backgrounds feel the biggest barriers to people achieving their potential are ethnicity, followed by gender, disability, lack of support network growing up and area they grew up in.

Nearly two-thirds of people surveyed in the West Midlands think the Government should work with local businesses to offer more hands-on experience as part of the education catch-up process from the pandemic. People unanimously see the steps businesses can take, such as providing work experience placements, providing non-graduate routes into employment, training, and mentoring, as all playing an important role in social mobility.

Nick Hatton, West Midlands place and purpose leader at PwC, said: “This research is a stark warning that the pandemic risks putting social mobility into reverse. While older people have been the principal health victims of Covid, without action the younger generation will be the biggest economic and social losers from it.

“Covid-19 has not only exposed the fragility of our care system. It has also exposed the fragility of our society. Urgent action is needed to put jobs, education and skills for young people at the heart of the Government’s levelling up agenda.

“The public wants businesses to more actively step up to the plate to create new opportunities for people to progress in life. That’s why we have been on the ‘front foot’ in establishing a presence in the Midlands – not only creating employment opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds but also creating an expectation and a new pathway for people to build a future career with PwC.”

Last autumn PwC recruited 275 new joiners to the Midlands, including graduates, technology degree apprentices, business placement students and school leavers, a 23 per cent increase from the previous year.

PwC also welcomed 42 students on its third cohort of the technology degree apprenticeship programme in conjunction with the University of Birmingham, where students enjoy a fully-funded degree, work placements with PwC and employment beyond.