Young people from low socio-economic backgrounds are less likely to have gained work experience, making it more challenging for them to get into certain professions.
A survey of 2,000 young people by KPMG found that social class and nepotism have a major role in accessing work experience.
Only 40% of young people from a low socio-economic background have gained exposure to the workplace, compared with 47% of young people on average across all socio-economic groups.
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Seventy-one per cent of those surveyed felt it was easier to get into certain professions, such as becoming doctor, accountant or lawyer, if they had a parent or guardian who worked in a similar profession. Forty-five per cent who had gained work experience arranged this via a relative or friend rather than via their school (30%).
Separate KPMG research from last year found that class and socio-economic background have a greater impact on career progression than any other diversity characteristic.
Jon Holt, Chief Executive at KPMG in the UK, said: “So many young people face an unlevel playing field and it’s limiting their long term prospects. The reality is, without access to decent and fair work experience and someone to show you the ropes, it can be hard to break into some professions. And talented individuals are therefore being ruled out of the running for jobs, at a really early stage of their career.
“Businesses, including our own, need to play an active role to change this. If we want to nurture the talent of tomorrow, we need to open our doors and offer the opportunity to come and see inside our firm to learn what work is like. And to help the next generation succeed, we need to equip them with skills that are highly valued in the workplace, such as problem solving and creative thinking.”
KPMG is among a number of organisations attempting to break down the barriers that prevent people from lower socio-economic backgrounds from accessing certain professions, and runs several work experience programmes.
The firm has pledged to give one million young people the opportunity to build their skills by 2030, which includes opening its doors to younger people from areas of lower social mobility across the UK.
The survey found 48% of young people felt the accountancy profession favours those with a parent or guardian with a professional background.
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KPMG has published a progression gap analysis, and last year reported that a quarter of its partners (25%) now come from low socio-economic backgrounds, up from 23% in 2021.
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