Opening Doors event being held by Business in the Community

This event is open to both members and non-members of Business in the Community(BITC). The event has been designed to benefit HR Directors, Talent Managers, EDI Directors and those who work in recruitment.

Background

On 9 May, BITC will be launching the findings of their innovative research project, Opening Doors: What Works. Working in collaboration with Aldermore, Heathrow and Lloyd’s Register, the research is seeking to identify the most effective ways that employers can support jobseekers from low socioeconomic backgrounds into work, specifically those facing compounding factors such as race, age and gender.

• Over 50% of LSEB (low socioeconomic background) jobseekers are being excluded from good work due to discriminatory employer practices* .
• Over 50% of LSEB jobseekers feel overlooked in the job market compared to their peers* (Forage, 2021).
• 42% of employers report having hard-to-fill vacancies**.
• 78% of leaders understand how an inclusive workplace and diverse workforce can benefit the organisation*** .

About the event

Analysing new qualitative and quantitative data from employers and jobseekers., gaining unique insight into the employer actions that are making the most impact to improve social mobility through an intersectional lens.

Speakers

• Steven Cooper CBE, CEO of Aldermore Bank and Chair of the BITC Employment & Skills Leadership Team, who will chair the event
• Parminder Kohli, Social Mobility Commissioner who will share a keynote speech
• Jess Sewter, Chief Partnerships Officer at Generation who will lead a fireside chat
• Ola Kolade, Employment and Skills Director, BITC who will provide an overview of the research and key findings.

References

* (Forage, 2021) FE News | Over 50% of UK job seekers from low socioeconomic backgrounds miss out on employment opportunities

** (CIPD, 2023) Labour Market Outlook: Spring 2023 (cipd.org)

*** (CIPD, 2022) inclusion-at-work-exec-summary_tcm18-112951.pdf (cipd.co.uk)

Booking and contact details and further information

• Contact Florence.Hughes@bitc.org.uk for any further questions.
• Full joining instructions will be sent before the event.

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