THE GOVERNMENT IS PAYING LIP SERVICE TO THE SOCIAL MOBILITY AND CHILD POVERTY...

　　Politicians face a simple choice – act on the recommendations of the Commission or face a lost generation
　　
　　ACCA has done an extensive survey of its students and members to look at what is happening in the accountancy profession and whether ACCA is acting as a vehicle for social mobility. Based on its research and broader societal trends, ACCA has made some recommendations for government.
　　
　　The report, Who accounts for social mobility? Is enough being done?  finds the government’s current social mobility strategy lacking when it comes to the world of work. 'We risk losing a talented generation if we do not end unpaid internships, there is also an issue around how internships are advertised; 51% of our members and students said they had got an internship through personal contacts' says Sarah Hathaway, head of ACCA UK.
　　
　　'The government claims to be focused on an inclusive growth agenda but studies demonstrate that western countries with low social mobility have lower economic growth, if both the government and the opposition do not begin to take social mobility more seriously we are failing the next generation.'
　　
　　ACCA supports several recommendations for government made in the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission report, but ACCA also explicitly calls for the following:
　　
　　- End unpaid internships
　　
　　- The Government must lead by example by collecting and publishing meaningful data on employees
　　
　　- The introduction of mandatory social mobility toolkit which requires businesses to track employees throughout their career
　　
　　- The appointment of a social mobility minister
　　
　　- The Office for Budget Responsibility to be charged with impact analysis
　　
　　- Greater dissemination of career information throughout the education system
　　
　　- A regional policy which recognises the needs of differing regions
　　
　　ACCA’s report shows its members and students feel passionately about the issue of social mobility but felt it was not an issue of importance to their workplace. And a staggering 76% said they felt their company should pay the living wage.
　　
　　'Social mobility does not exist in the UK, our members and students recognise how important it is and we implore the government to do more.'
　　
　　'88% of our members and students went to a state school and only 30% completed a degree and yet only 10% said they became an accountant through careers advice at school. A lot of young people simply aren’t aware that you do not need a degree to become an accountant, career advice and role models will be integral to children realising there is no glass ceiling.'
　　
　　'We wholeheartedly support the work of the Commission but we want to see the government and the opposition really backing the suggestions of the Commission.'
　　
　　Following the launch of our report ACCA is going to be hosting regional events with a variety of stakeholders to try and garner a greater understanding of what can be done to improve social mobility across the country.
　　
　　-ENDS-
　　
　　FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
　　
　　Rosalind Goates, Public Affairs Manager, ACCA Newsroom
　　
　　tel: + 44 (0) 207 059 5616
　　
　　mob: +44 (0) 7912394764
　　
　　Twitter @ACCAViews
　　
　　rosalind.goates@accaglobal.com
　　
　　Notes to Editors
　　
　　ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. We aim to offer business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.
　　
　　We support our 170,000 members and 436,000 students in 180 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. We work through a network of 91 offices and centres and more than 8,500 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through our public interest remit, we promote appropriate regulation of accounting and conduct relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.
　　
　　Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. We believe that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. Our values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and we ensure that through our qualifications, we prepare accountants for business. We seek to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating our qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers.