/>Young Fabian Consultation on ‘The Milburn Review of Social Mobility’
Young Fabian Consultation on ‘The Milburn Review of Social Mobility’
Young Fabian members are being offered a unique opportunity to submit their thoughts to the newly established ‘Milburn Review’ on social mobility and fair access to the professions.
Rt Hon Alan Milburn MP has been asked by the Prime Minister to examine what barriers prevent people from success in the professions, and what steps the Labour Government can take to increase social mobility for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Alan Milburn has asked the Young Fabians to contribute to his inquiry, particularly to highlight young people’s experiences of entering traditional professions.
The Young Fabian submission to the Milburn Review will focus on key themes:
- Barriers to entry and progression in traditional professions for young people;
- The role of work experience as an entry route into professions – and in particular unpaid internships;
- Young people’s suggestions on how to improve social mobility through traditional professions.
If you want to contribute to the Young Fabian submission to the Milburn Review, then please read the questions set out below then submit your thoughts and responses to Young Fabian Vice-Chair David Chaplin on dchaplin@youngfabians.org.uk before March 10th. Those who do respond will also be invited to attend a roundtable event with Alan Milburn to discuss the Young Fabian submission later in the year.
Questions:
1. Barriers
- Have you experienced barriers in entering your professions? Was it in relation to your background or school type?
- What financial obstacles or financial support did you encounter?
- How did you overcome the barriers you faced when entering your profession?
2. Work experience
- What are the typical routes into your profession? (e.g. are there specific courses or degrees necessary for entry)
- Did you use formal or informal networks to help facilitate experience of, or entrance into your profession?
- Did you receive funding for work experience and internship opportunities
3. Young Fabian Suggestions
- What actions would you suggest to the Milburn Review to extend fair access to the professions?
- What schemes are you aware of from business, the third or public sector which helped broaden access to your profession? (Such as work shadowing or summer schools).
- Who so you think should be responsible for organising, funding and delivering these schemes? (Government?)
Regarding Work experience:
I am in my final year at the LSE and recently accepted a training contract with a magic circle corporate law firm. I think I am one of a minority of black women from a working class background to get this. I can identify a number of things that helped me to reach a profession where anecdotally 50% of the graduate intake are from oxbridge and most are from priveliged backgrounds.
1. From the age of 15 I made use of extra curricular activities on offer in my borough of Tower Hamlets, one of the most deprived in the country. Schemes like summer university meant that I had things to put on my CV from a young age. They summer courses on offer also opened up a social and professional network for me from a young age. The vast majority of these schemes were free.
2. I am a Windsor Fellow, which is a leadership scheme for black and minority ethnic university students. This two year programme has built up key professional skills for me as well as a wide professional network. Schemes that target those who are less likely to get to high professional positions are worthwhile. They also create role models within those communities who can help others.
3. I was supported academically by my parents. It is a well known fact that parents have more influence upon a child’s educational attainment than schools themselves. Therefore, it is vital that parents are supported in providing their child the facilities needed to reach their academic potential.