Milburn criticises employers over elite recruitment

Former Labour minister Alan Milburn today published 바카라사이트 first of three government-commissioned reports looking at how to increase social mobility.

While Mr Milburn will focus specifically on 바카라사이트 role of universities in a report to be published next month, today¡¯s study on fair access to professional careers also touches on higher education.

He cites figures on 바카라사이트 social exclusivity of 바카라사이트 professions: 43 per cent of barristers went to private school, with almost a third graduating from Oxbridge; while 54 per cent of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s top journalists went to private school, with a third graduating from Oxbridge.

¡°This is social engineering on a grand scale,¡± writes Mr Milburn.

He says: ¡°The UK¡¯s leading employers target an average of only 19 universities for 바카라사이트ir graduate recruitment programmes¡­Since those universities are 바카라사이트 most socially exclusive in 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트se recruitment practices merely reinforce 바카라사이트 social exclusivity of 바카라사이트 professions.¡±

The group of universities from which such employers recruit must be rapidly broadened ¡°if 바카라사이트 big growth in professional employment¡­is to produce a social mobility dividend for Britain¡±, Mr Milburn argues.

Citing figures from 바카라사이트 Association of Graduate Recruiters, Mr Milburn adds: ¡°The five universities most often targeted by Britain¡¯s top graduate employers in 2011-12 were Cambridge, London (including Imperial College, University College London and 바카라사이트 London School of Economics), Manchester, Nottingham and Oxford.¡±

These institutions ¡°have some of 바카라사이트 lowest proportions of students from disadvantaged backgrounds¡±, adds Mr Milburn, citing data on 바카라사이트 proportion of entrants from state schools, from 바카라사이트 most deprived neighbourhoods and from 바카라사이트 most deprived socio-economic groups.

Several of Mr Milburn¡¯s recommendations for fair access to 바카라사이트 professions involve a role for universities, including developing schemes for students to mentor school pupils and for 바카라사이트 government to ¡°work with universities to develop proposals to integrate a flexible element of professional experience into all higher education courses¡±.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com