Britain’s growing youth employment crisis has reignited questions about who gets access to opportunity. As Social Mobility Day 2026 highlights the power of stories to shape futures, business leaders and social mobility advocates are calling for greater action to help young people overcome barriers to education, employment and progression.
Today (11 June) marks Social Mobility Day 2026, the annual campaign organised by Making The Leap to raise awareness of social mobility and encourage organisations to examine the role they play in creating fairer pathways into education and employment. This year’s theme, Stories Matter, focuses on the power of storytelling to shape aspirations, influence career choices and help people imagine what is possible for their future. While the campaign celebrates progress made by employers, educators and social mobility organisations, it also arrives against a backdrop of growing concern about opportunity in Britain.
Recent research highlighted by Fair Play Talks has raised fresh questions about access to education, employment and career progression, particularly for young people. Rising youth unemployment, growing economic inactivity and persistent inequalities in access to opportunity have prompted renewed debate about whether enough is being done to support the next generation into work.
The challenge extends beyond helping people secure their first job. Increasingly, employers are being asked to consider how workplace culture, progression opportunities, flexible working and inclusion policies affect people’s ability to build sustainable careers and fulfil their potential. As organisations across the UK mark Social Mobility Day, many are asking what more can be done to ensure that talent and ambition are not limited by background, postcode or circumstance.
WIDENING OPPORTUNITY GAP
The concerns are reflected in a growing body of evidence. Earlier this year, Fair Play Talks reported that more than one million young people are now outside education, employment or training (NEET). It also highlighted findings from the Trades Union Congress, which found that around one in five young people have been out of work for more than 12 months.
For social mobility advocates, these figures represent more than a labour market challenge. They point to a widening opportunity gap in which access to networks, work experience, mentoring and career pathways increasingly determines outcomes. Without intervention, there are concerns that many young people could become permanently disconnected from opportunities that previous generations may have taken for granted.
WHY SOCIAL MOBILITY MATTERS MORE THAN EVER
Social mobility is often discussed in terms of education and employment, but the reality is much broader. It encompasses the ability of individuals to progress throughout their careers, access leadership opportunities and achieve economic security regardless of their background. Many of the barriers that affect social mobility are not immediately visible. They can include limited professional networks, a lack of role models, financial pressures, caring responsibilities or workplace cultures that unintentionally favour those with greater access to opportunity.
A recent study featured in Fair Play Talks, explored one such challenge in “One in Three Parents Forced to Quit Jobs Due to Lack of Flexible Working”, which highlighted how rigid workplace structures can force employees to choose between career progression and family responsibilities. The findings demonstrated that access to opportunity is often shaped by workplace policies as much as individual ambition.
Similarly, research featured in “Eight in 10 Autistic Employees Report Masking and Emotional Exhaustion at Work” found that many neurodivergent employees continue to experience barriers after entering employment. While recruitment remains an important part of the social mobility conversation, the findings illustrate why progression, inclusion and belonging are equally important. Taken together, these stories reinforce a simple truth: talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not.
THE STORY BEHIND THE MOVEMENT
Social Mobility Day was launched in 2022 by Making The Leap, the social mobility charity founded by Tunde Banjoko OBE. The initiative was created to encourage organisations to share their social mobility stories and celebrate the actions they are taking to create fairer opportunities. As more employers have incorporated socio-economic diversity into their inclusion strategies, the day has become a focal point for conversations around access, progression and social mobility.
The theme for 2026 reflects a belief that stories help shape ambitions long before people begin making decisions about careers or education. According to campaign organisers: “Stories shape how we see the world and our place in it. Long before we learn about careers or pathways, we learn about people.”
For young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, stories can help make opportunities visible. Seeing someone with a similar background succeed can provide confidence, inspiration and a tangible example of what is achievable. However, organisations create stories too. Every apprenticeship programme, internship opportunity, mentoring initiative and promotion decision contributes to a wider narrative about who gets opportunities and who succeeds.
SOCIAL MOBILITY DAY
The story behind Social Mobility Day reflects many of the values the campaign seeks to promote. Making The Leap was founded in 1993 in a single room on the second floor of a building in Harlesden, northwest London. Initially focused on helping unemployed residents from Harlesden and Stonebridge into work, the organisation gradually expanded its reach and influence.
In 1999, Making The Leap introduced the STRIVE programme from the United States, recognising the importance of employability skills and employer engagement long before they became mainstream business priorities. Reflecting recently on LinkedIn, founder Tunde Banjoko OBE described one of the most challenging moments in the charity’s history. In 2011, Making The Leap lost 68% of its funding following the closure of a major public-sector funding stream. “It was one of the toughest periods in our history,” he wrote.
The experience forced the organisation to sharpen its focus on young people and strengthen partnerships with employers. It also reinforced a belief that no single organisation could solve Britain’s social mobility challenges alone. “The challenge is simply too big for any one organisation,” Banjoko explained. “We believed that if more employers became engaged, the impact could be far greater.”
That thinking ultimately led to the creation of the UK Social Mobility Awards (SOMOs), the Social Mobility Podcast, the Social Mobility Business Seminar, the Social Mobility List and Social Mobility Day itself. Reflecting on the journey, Banjoko offered a message that sits at the heart of this year’s campaign: “Our story shows that you do not have to be limited by the limitations others place on you. Not by the family you were born into, the area you grew up in, or the school you went to.”
HOW BUSINESSES CAN DRIVE SOCIAL MOBILITY
One example of how employers can turn social mobility commitments into meaningful action comes from Future Leaders UK and its partnership with BT Group and EE. On Social Mobility Day 2026, Future Leaders UK announced that its social mobility initiative, delivered in partnership with BT Group and EE, had been recognised by the UK Government as an example of social value best practice.
The five-year partnership aims to help thousands of young people build the skills, confidence and access they need to succeed in education, employment or training. The programme focuses particularly on addressing inequalities affecting young people in the North of England, where research from the Social Mobility Commission has consistently highlighted some of the country’s most challenging social mobility outcomes.
As part of the initiative, BT and EE support Future Leaders UK’s Manchester hub, providing mentoring, employability support, skills workshops and direct access to employers. More than 200 young people have already benefited from the hub’s programmes.
CREATING MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES
Faheem Khan, CEO of Future Leaders UK, said the initiative demonstrates what can be achieved when businesses move beyond discussion and invest directly in creating opportunities. “Our Manchester hub is proof of what’s possible when business and community come together. With BT and EE’s support, we’re creating a space where young people who might otherwise be overlooked can access the skills, networks and confidence to succeed. This is just the beginning. We want to see the hub grow into a beacon for social mobility in the North, inspiring a generation to believe in themselves and in what they can achieve.”
For participants, the impact is already being felt. “Before joining Future Leaders, I wasn’t sure what direction to take,” said Abdulla, a Year 12 student involved in the programme. “At the hub I’ve learned new skills, met mentors who believe in me, and discovered opportunities I didn’t know existed. It’s given me the confidence to aim higher and to see a future for myself that feels achievable.”
At a time when concerns about Britain’s “lost generation” continue to grow, initiatives such as these provide a practical example of how employers can help tackle inequality and create meaningful pathways into employment.
HOW EMPLOYERS CAN IMPROVE SOCIAL MOBILITY
Employers have a critical role to play in creating opportunities and removing barriers. Here are a few suggestions on how they can improve social mobility:
Review recruitment practices
Focus on skills and potential rather than traditional indicators of privilege or access. Skills-based hiring and broader outreach can help attract talented candidates who may otherwise be overlooked.
Create more pathways into work
Apprenticeships, internships, work experience placements and mentoring programmes provide valuable entry points for young people who may lack professional networks.
Invest in progression, not just recruitment
Social mobility is not simply about who gets hired. It is also about who progresses. Organisations should ensure employees from all backgrounds have access to development opportunities and leadership pathways.
Build genuinely inclusive workplace cultures.
Flexible working, inclusive leadership and employee support networks can help ensure people feel able to succeed once they enter the workplace.
Measure socio-economic diversity
Collecting data helps organisations understand where barriers exist and whether interventions are delivering meaningful change.
Share success stories and best practice
Organisations that openly discuss what works can help accelerate progress across industries and inspire others to take action.
SOCIAL MOBILITY DAY: STORIES MATTER
Social Mobility Day is ultimately about more than awareness. It is about recognising that where someone starts in life should not determine where they finish. At a time when more than one million young people remain disconnected from education and employment, the challenge facing employers is not simply finding talent. It is ensuring that talent has a fair opportunity to be found.
As organisations across the UK mark Social Mobility Day 2026, the message is clear: stories matter. But the most important stories are not the ones organisations tell. They are the ones they help create.
ENTER THE SOCIAL MOBILITY AWARDS
The UK Social Mobility Awards were the first national awards programme dedicated entirely to social mobility and remain one of the most significant platforms for recognising organisations and individuals driving change in this area.
Established by Making The Leap, the awards were created to make the advancement of social mobility a key part of how organisations are run across Britain. Through recognising innovation, leadership and measurable impact, the SOMOs help raise awareness and encourage organisations to embed social mobility into their long-term strategies.
For organisations already creating opportunities, the awards provide a platform to showcase achievements. For those beginning their journey, they offer insight into what meaningful action can look like. Entries for the 2026 awards are open until 5pm on 26 June 2026, with winners due to be announced at the UK Social Mobility Awards Gala on 6 October 2026.
Click here for more information, and to enter.
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