The Social Mobility Business Partnership (SMBP) is a volunteer-led charity which brings together over 170 professional services firms, commercial organisations and professional sports teams committed to supporting students from low income backgrounds in their pursuit of a career, in particular, as a legal or finance professional. Programmes are currently run in various towns and cities across the UK as well as a National Online Week for students in more rural areas.
The Programme
Students participate in a week-long work insight and skills experience in which they are given the opportunity to spend a day at four different businesses; in addition, they attend a day run by a professional sports club to learn about the psychology of resilience and goal achievement models.
The programme helps build aspirations and inspire students to pursue a career in a profession that they may not have previously considered.
In 2023 our colleagues played hosts to Year 11 students, as part of a Work Insights Week for students who live in the Bradford area. They volunteered to deliver presentations and workshops on a range of legal and professional topics to inspire the young people who attended.
"The SMBP gave me an insight into a range of different careers I hadn’t considered and showed me I had a variety of options available to me. From having my mind set on university, I am now considering apprenticeships as the different hosts shared with us that university isn’t always a path you can take and an apprenticeship can get you to the same place a degree can. I enjoyed everything about the week; Vanquis Banking Group was my favourite as it was the most interactive and also made me wonder what it would be like to work there."
Student who took part in the programme
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