Levels of parental education and wealth play a pivotal role in determining the life chances of young people in this country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A report published this week<\/a> by The Social Market Foundation, helps to explain why young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds with similar grades at school can end up doing less well in higher education and the job market than those from more privileged backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This new study shows just how much knowledge of \u2018how the system works\u2019 is stacked in favour of young people from more well-off families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It concludes that young people from well-off backgrounds are far more adept at navigating their way through the education system and careers than their less well-off peers. The report finds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So why is this? The report found that young people from less-advantaged backgrounds have considerably fewer people to turn to for advice, guidance, support and encouragement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Work experience can be particularly effective at filling gaps in knowledge<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The report also found that the more sources of advice a young person had, the higher they \u2018scored\u2019 on career-related knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, one-third of young people from the least advantaged backgrounds do not receive careers advice from family or friends, compared to just 5 per cent of those with parents who hold a post-graduate degree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And 42 per cent of young people from less well-off backgrounds do not know anyone in a high-paying industry that they could turn to for advice, compared to just one in five more well-off pupils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Evidence also shows that pupils from more advantaged backgrounds and those with graduate parents have greater access to experiences of the workplace while at school. These experiences help to demystify careers, provide insights and help shape career choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, half of young people leave school having had no access to work experience. When work experience<\/a> does take place, it is often left to parents to arrange it, meaning those without networks to call on may struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on the findings in that report, our analysis<\/a> makes practical recommendations on how to close the gap in knowledge and opportunity, to ensure all young people have access to experiences that can demystify future careers, alongside the guidance support and encouragement to help make informed choices along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We need proper investment in careers advice, so that pupils without access to networks or support outside of school, can access it in school. And we need to ensure the government\u2019s plan to introduce work experience for all<\/a> keeps high-quality, meaningful experiences at the heart of its design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our extensive evaluation work shows that work experience can be particularly effective at filling the gaps in knowledge in the very areas this report highlights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And what is most exciting of all is that evidence shows that while all young people can benefit from undertaking work experience, those from the least affluent backgrounds benefit the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Put simply, the more you do, the fairer it gets. Providing high-quality work experience for all is one of the surest ways we can ensure fair access to those \u2018things worth knowing\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the full report, Things Worth Knowing<\/em> here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the analysis by Speakers for Schools, Assumed Knowledge – A hidden barrier to social mobility<\/em> here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Knowledge of ‘how the system works’ stacks opportunity in favour of the most well-off. New analysis reveals how the government can overcome this obstacle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":311124,"featured_media":216464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"post-theme":[3730],"class_list":["post-216461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","post-theme-the-research-leader"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n
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