Reflecting on a year of employer behaviour change

What have we done?

This year, we’ve been working more closely with employers to transform how they work with young people to drive social mobility and create sustainable impact within their organisation. At the heart of our approach has been to showcase both the importance of helping young people to succeed and the direct benefits an employer gains from having a more diverse workforce.  

Through conversations with our corporate partners, a series of employer roundtables, and commissioning new research, we’ve gained valuable insights which will enable us to better support employers to engage and recruit young people from low-income backgrounds.

What have we learned?

Through roundtables, we’ve convened employers who have recently supported our employability programmes to share challenges and best practices to driving social mobility. We heard how employers are actively using young people’s ideas contributed on their business experience placements to create change in their organisations, committing to actions including... 

• Reviewing job application processes and the language in job descriptions

• Promoting careers information across several social media platforms to better reach young people.

We also invited young people from our alumni network, now closer to starting work, to share their views on what they are looking for from employers... 

• Employers demonstrating how they are living their values on their websites and social media

• Clear communication during application processes

• Insights into career pathways.  

In our latest report produced by Groundswell Innovation, we addressed the need for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to view social mobility as a strategic business opportunity, and moral responsibility. Through research with companies in North West England, we outline the economic risks of inaction, identify barriers to engagement, and showcase the tangible benefits and actionable steps taken by socially responsible organisations. 

What changes have employers made to give young people more opportunities?

"EY Foundation has helped us reach and engage with young talent from underrepresented and low-income backgrounds. Through the Tech Futures programme, we’re building a more inclusive culture that reflects the values of our sport and our commitment to equity in the clean technology sector. Collaborating with the EY Foundation has deepened our understanding of how to effectively engage, support, and mentor young people from diverse backgrounds, while also strengthening professional development within our teams, particularly around communication, coaching, and inclusive leadership.

We recognise that to reach a wider pool of young talent, especially those without prior exposure to our industry, we must continue evolving our outreach and recruitment processes, ensuring that opportunities are accessible and visible to all. We’re exploring how to further adapt our onboarding journey to provide structured, supportive introductions for young hires and those entering the motorsport and sustainability sectors for the first time. 

We look forward to continuing our partnership with the EY Foundation, connecting with more young people, and working together to help ensure that all have the opportunity to succeed."

Ali Russell
Extreme H Managing Director

What will we do next? 

Putting insights into practice, in 2026 we will...

• Continue supporting employers to make further change to ensure their recruitment practices are not deterring young people, and that they are thinking about how they approach the retention and progression of young people in their organisations.

• Continue to convene young people and employers to shape employer practices

• Work more closely with our current employer network and connect to more employers across the country to support them to engage with young people

• Publish further research, looking at the role of employers in driving place based social mobility.

If you’d like to find out more about our insights, and how EY Foundation can support your organisation to drive social mobility, please get in touch.