The Index, created by the Social Mobility Foundation, ranks Britain’s employers based on the actions they have taken to improve social mobility in the workplace. This is the fourth time that PwC has topped the ranking since its inception, this year sharing the top spot with law firm Browne Jacobson LLP. The recognition demonstrates the firm’s commitment to ensure they support talent from all socio-economic backgrounds.
Employers are assessed across eight key areas, including their work with young people, routes into the company, how they attract talent, recruitment and selection, data and advocacy, pay, progression and retention. This year 150 employers were considered for the Top 75 rankings.
PwC has continued its commitment to opening up pathways for young people of all backgrounds and engaging with a wide range of schools and universities across the country, providing both employment and schools outreach programmes.
In the last academic year PwC supported over 17,000 secondary school students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and social mobility target schools with skills development. This included inviting over 3000 into our offices to show them the opportunities available and support them in developing skills such as communication, teamwork and business acumen. Over 200 students from across the UK joined the firm’s New World, New Skills paid work experience week, all of whom met social mobility criteria.
One of the firm’s key recruitment challenges lies in reaching the talent it needs to build the most diverse teams. Recent investment in regional offices provides PwC with a platform to recruit people from across the piste enabling it to supercharge its existing social mobility and community engagement programmes.
Marco Amitrano, Senior Partner of PwC UK, said:
“Being at the top of the Social Mobility Employer Index for the fourth time is a huge honour, and it's fantastic to see so many businesses focused on reducing barriers to opportunity. Stronger UK economic growth depends on supporting talent from all backgrounds, regions and communities to succeed. At PwC inclusion, and inclusive growth, is part of our everyday conversation and aspiration.
“There’s no quick fix and we have plenty more to do at PwC, but data helps us see where we should focus interventions, and helps hold us to account.”
Sarah Atkinson, CEO of the Social Mobility Foundation, said:
“Congratulations to PwC for placing joint-first in the Top 75 in this year’s Social Mobility Employer Index. Retaining the top spot for the second year running – and the fourth time since the Index launched – is a real achievement, demonstrating the firm’s sustained commitment to ensuring their workplace is open to everyone, regardless of background.
“Employers that join the Index recognise that the workplace is as important as the classroom for improving social mobility. They are leaders in creating a culture where everyone can thrive, leading to more representative, innovative, successful organisations.”
Notes to editor
To find out more about PwC’s work on social mobility and to see our social mobility action plan, please visit www.pwc.co.uk/socialmobility
About the Social Mobility Foundation
The Social Mobility Foundation (SMF) is a national charity that aims to make practical improvements in social mobility for young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds through its Aspiring Professionals Programme, its Social Mobility Employer Index, and its advocacy and campaigning arm, the Department for Opportunities.
About the Social Mobility Employer Index
The Social Mobility Employer Index was launched in 2017 and has become the leading authority on employer-led social mobility. It assesses and ranks UK employers on the actions they take to ensure they are open to talent from all social backgrounds, and provides them with feedback to improve.
The Social Mobility Employer Index evaluates employers across eight areas: work with young people, attraction of staff and university outreach, recruitment and selection, routes into the employer, data collection, pay, progression and retention, culture and internal advocacy, and external advocacy. Employers are then benchmarked. The data and insights from this process are published in an annual Employer Index Report which features a ranking of the 75 top-performing employers on social mobility that year.
About PwC
At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We’re a network of firms in 151 countries with over 364,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com. PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.
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