Introduction

Assessment of the BGC’s activities mapped against the Levelling Up Goals

The BGC’s activity has been benchmarked against the Levelling Up Goals, assessing where it is contributing towards them.

As organisations with a broad spectrum of activity in many communities, BGC members are making a positive contribution to all the relevant Levelling Up Goals. The analysis below focuses on the particular goals where companies are uniquely placed to have the most positive impact. At the Purpose Coalition, we advise organisations to focus on the particular areas where they can deliver the most impact in line with their purpose and strengths, and on how that expertise can be targeted towards specific gaps where they are relevant to the organisation. This is how social impact becomes real for people and communities and how it also becomes sustainable over the long term, in contrast to outdated ‘tick box’ approaches that can see organisations failing to deliver by spreading themselves too thinly.

Goal 3

Positive destinations post 16+

Every young person and adult should have the choice of a high-quality route into education, employment, or training. Increasing awareness of the choices that are available allows organisations to harness the talent that is available post-16 and enables people to fulfil their potential, whether that is in academic education or vocational training. It is key to levelling up those communities which are furthest away from a level playing field and to supporting those individuals who are most disadvantaged. People need advice and information about the career opportunities that exist and how best to take advantage of them. Knowing what sort of careers are out there can set schoolwork in context and help a person understand the steps they need to take to get to the one that is right for them. In July 2020, the UK Government announced its Plan for Jobs, aimed at protecting, supporting and creating jobs. Its new Kickstart Scheme was targeted at young people aged 16-24 on Universal Credit. The BGC launched its own Plan for Jobs in September 2021, with a pledge to create 5,000 new apprenticeships across the betting and gaming industry by 2025. It will also generate 15,000 tech jobs in the next 5 years. Most of these will be outside London, delivering opportunities to those parts of the country where, traditionally, they have been scarce. One BGC member, Flutter, a global sports betting, gaming and entertainment provider with over 18 million customers worldwide has launched a self-funded version of the Government’s Kickstart scheme. It has created 13 new roles across the business in marketing, finance, people, trading, tech and design, for young people aged 18-25 at risk of long term unemployment. By engaging with charities and community organisations, the scheme has provided career opportunities for a whole new talent pool, including some of the most underrepresented groups.