The Social Mobility Awards 2024
What is Social Mobility and why does it matter?
Social mobility is the link between a person’s occupation or income and the occupation or income of their parents. Where there is a strong link, there is a lower level of social mobility. Where there is a weak link, there is a higher level of social mobility.
If you were born into a less-advantaged background or born into a home in an area of the UK that’s not particularly well off, the chances are you’ll go to a school that’s got lower expectations, a school that’s not able to attract the same type of teachers. That somehow seems to set out the path for your future. That’s not fair. People are born with potential and these shouldn’t be factors that impact your ability to realise that potential.
We’ve committed to advancing social mobility as part of our pledge to support our communities. Our Grid for Good programme aims to support 45,000 less-advantaged young people by 2030 through training and employment opportunities. With great challenges ahead of us, we need to grow our workforce with talented people.
This year, we took the opportunity to sponsor the Social Mobility Awards (SOMOs) which took place in London. Set up by UK-based organisation Making the Leap, the SOMOs recognise best practice and innovation, celebrate excellence and start a new chapter in the elevation of social mobility. By raising awareness and celebrating the people and organisations that are committed to bringing about the change, together we can advance the cause of social mobility.
National Grid will be the headline sponsor of the Social Mobility Awards in 2025.
Reflections on the Social Mobility Awards 2024
Will Serle, Chief People Officer at National Grid, said:
When somebody somewhere – and that could be an organisation like Making The Leap, that could be an employer, it could be an individual – makes the effort to intervene and do something and make a change, even if it’s just for one person, the difference to that one person is huge. There are literally millions of people in the UK alone that need help, so that’s a good reason to get involved in this topic. You can actually make a difference in all sorts of different ways.
I’ve been involved with this for several years now, in previous organisations as well as National Grid, so it was quite an easy decision to encourage National Grid to become part of SOMOs and actively support them. It tied in with what I believe we needed to be doing as an organisation.
It’s the sort of thing that showcases the great work that’s being done, so it’s an easy thing to choose to get involved with. The SOMO Awards are a really effective showcase of some of the things that are happening in that area.
Amadou Sow, Trainee Site Supervisor on the Construction Development Programme, shares his story and reflections on the SOMOs.
The Grid for Good programme gave me a clear pathway for what I wanted to do.
I’m not the type of person to go to events like the Social Mobility Awards as I don’t feel comfortable. When I first arrived, I initially thought, ‘what am I doing here?’, as it’s just not my type of environment. However, I was introduced to various personalities and hearing other people’s stories throughout the evening, including those who spoke on stage, I began to realise that I can relate to a lot of people in the room. It felt like a good place to be and a great thing they have going on.
