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The Opportunity Gap
The impact of coronavirus across locations, ages and education levels also has an impact for social mobility in the UK.
Our research shows that eight of 14 measures used to calculate social mobility will be impacted. We have used existing place based social mobility analysis together with the predicted impact of coronavirus to examine the size of a community’s ‘Opportunity Gap’.
From our analysis we believe there are 16 areas in England at risk of a ‘double opportunity hit’. Already amongst the worst areas for social mobility, they are going to be particularly badly affected by coronavirus. Those in the top 20 per cent, with the largest opportunity gap are referred to as COVID Opportunity Coldspots.
This opportunity deficit overwhelmingly impacts people from more disadvantaged communities and backgrounds and the gaps start opening up from the very start. Coronavirus widens that opportunity gap for young people at every stage of their formative years and it is becoming clear that we are at risk of a lost generation.
The impact on those in the education system in these more disadvantaged communities is obvious. True Potential’s experience, detailed in this report, demonstrates that it is possible to improve outcomes among hard to reach young people in disadvantaged communities, despite the many barriers that exist for them, both practical and perceived.
It shows how it successfully addresses social mobility in some of the most deprived areas of the North East and has created a pathway into well-paid tech jobs of the future.
This report contains insights into best practices which have worked well and which have had a positive outcome for learners at the Harrison Centre for Social Mobility as well as employees at True Potential.
It features case studies which illustrate the impact that its approach has had on individuals as well as analysis focusing on the community in which it is located.
The Opportunity Action Plan also considers how True Potential might advocate for an expansion of business-led community employment programmes and wider financial resilience.
