When I was introduced to Jon Hering at Blackbullion, I knew I had met a kindred spirit. Whilst we grew up in different countries (Jon is from the USA) in a different social demographic (where I come from a working class background Jon would say he was born into a middle class household), we have both experienced (and work in the space of) Social Mobility.

What has been interesting in the time I’ve gotten to know him is how our conversations have helped me broaden my knowledge about the similarities and differences in social mobility between the UK and the US by virtue of our respective stories.

• We both felt the discomfort of going backwards in your social class before moving forwards.
• We both had a burning desire to ‘get out’ of the places we found ourselves as teenagers.
• We both found our route – Jon talks compellingly about how it is nigh on impossible to get ahead if you do not have a ‘good’ college/university education in the US and how this shaped his determination to succeed academically. In my instance, it was nigh on impossible for me to go to university and why I became so focused on ‘graft’ to get ahead.

What was most striking was how we found ourselves in agreement on why it’s important to acknowledge that the American Dream / Working Class ‘Boy/Girl Done Good’ narrative doesn’t work for everyone. It’s a topic that some people find difficult (unpatriotic even) to talk about but the fact remains that people from a poor background have the worst educational outcomes – no matter how much you tell them that ‘you just need to work hard!’.

In the UK, to be a white, British child from a low socio-economic background puts you in the unenviable position of having the lowest attainment level aged 16 (source: Ethnic, socio-economic and sex inequalities in educational achievement at age 16, by Professor Steve Strand – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

In the US, research from Stanford highlights that socioeconomic disparities are a motivating factor in educational outcomes and future career prospects as quoted in this World Economic Forum article: This data shows the racial gap in access to education in the US | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

In both countries, young people are told you can “Be whatever you want to be” and sold the narrative that we live in a meritocracy. I used to believe we lived in a meritocracy, until I discovered that it is, by and large, a lie.

So – in the words of my childhood friends: “Whatcha gonna do about it?”

Well, if you want to go to a great event, that looks in detail at all the different factors that prevent social mobility and *most importantly* what people, businesses, not for profits and communities collectively can DO (and why it makes good social and financial sense ;)) – sign up for the Mobilise UK Conference hosted by Blackbullion and The Leathersellers on October 15th in London.

I’m going to be there (listening and learning and probably just dying for a chance to take to the stage) and I’d love for you to join me too. Here’s a quick run down of the key sessions:

• Keynote from Sarah Atkinson; CEO, Social Mobility Foundation
• Social Mobility Masterclass; Jon Hering, Scholarships Lead, Blackbullion
• How Charities can Influence Social Mobility; Natalia Rymaszewska, Grants at Leathersellers Foundation
• Sessions on the Role of Education and the Power of Scholarships
• Creating Social Mobility at All Levels; Martin Mason, CEO at TalentMapper

To check out the full agenda and to sign up, click: Mobilise UK Conference

And, guess what? You can even enjoy a discount on me! Put in TONI2024 at check out. You’re welcome 😉

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Want to talk Social Mobility? Or book me to speak at your next event? Get in touch – I’d love to hear from you!