Exploiting the working class

From Emily Thornberry’s contempt for white van man, Gordon Brown’s dismissal of an elderly lady worried by immigration as “bigoted”, and Keir Starmer’s characterisation of the recent immigration protesters as “Far Right” (even though most of them were peaceful), the issues that worry the UK’s working class seems to be a long way down the priority list of our politicians.

 

The struggles of the working class in the UK, and the white working class in particular, have become increasingly evident. Social mobility has continued to slow. In 2021/22, the proportion of white British pupils who are eligible for free school meals starting higher education by the age of 19 was 18%, the lowest of any ethnic group other than Gypsy/Roma and Irish travellers.

 

The working class often feels neglected by politicians. The disadvantages they face are numerous including deindustrialisation, multigenerational deprivation, and a lack of opportunities to build social capital. But education is at the centre of their failure to thrive. White working-class children, particularly boys, consistently underperform in the education system.

 

Factors such as lack of access to good schools, lower levels of parental engagement in education, a curriculum that may not resonate with their experiences or ambitions, even some would say the feminisation of teaching (which includes casting boys’ typical rowdy behaviour as dysfunctional) contribute to this underachievement. (And the idea that working class children should be given more lessons in sport, art and music to help them thrive is massively patronising.)

 

This low achievement has been recognised for decades. The last Conservative government accepted there was an important issue to address here. But despite initiatives such as David Cameron’s idealistic (some would say misguided) “Big Society”, the lack of spending on addressing inequality in Boris Johnson’s “Levelling Up” agenda, and the Free Schools programme, they failed to make any real headway.

 

We must hope that the new Labour government will achieve more. But will they? There seems to be ingrained snobbery in much of society about manual labour: TV presenter Carol Vorderman’s remarks about a Conservative government minister not having a degree is just one example.

 

Given the failure, over multiple decades, of our political masters to address this important issue, perhaps it is the responsibility of business in the UK to find solutions. So what can business do?

 

Work-based training

 

Poor education is at the heart of low levels of achievement of many working-class people. And it is here that businesses can play a major part by helping people to develop the right attitudes, skills and knowledge.

 

Some companies offer apprenticeships which can provide working-class individuals with little formal education with a pathway into skilled careers. The apprenticeship levy, introduced in 2017, was intended to strengthen apprenticeships but instead led to a massive fall in apprenticeship starts. While there have been some successes with advanced technical apprenticeships, it may be that more flexible and modular vocational training programs are the way forward for a service-based economy like the UK’s.

 

There is of course a considerable cost to providing good in-work training. Government can, and should, help. But business should recognise the value of training at a time of skills shortages, as well as the opportunity to build loyalty so that workers who start as apprentices and perhaps leave at some point always feel that they have a “home” to come back to later in their career.

 

Training doesn’t always have to be provided by the employer. Giving employees easy access to learning resources such as online courses and workshops is also very effective. Allowing people time off to attend industry exhibitions and conferences will broaden their knowledge as well as helping them develop the social and career capital they may be lacking. Encouraging employees to learn at their own pace and in ways they want to can empower them to build confidence over time.

 

It is also useful to involve employees in providing training by creating opportunities for them to share their skills and knowledge with colleagues, such as leading a workshop or training session. Teaching others can reinforce their own confidence in their abilities.

 

Accepted best practice, technology and market trends shift rapidly and constantly. The promotion of life-long learning is therefore essential today. Working class employees, whatever role they are engaged in, will benefit just as much as graduate high-fliers from continuing education: however they may have a greater need for flexible work schedules or financial assistance, and employers must be aware of this and sympathetic to it if they want to get the most from their most valued assets – people.

 

Inclusive recruitment

 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are important values that all responsible businesses hold. But while there are often specific objectives around gender and ethnicity, it is far rarer to see businesses promoting class or educational diversity. Indeed some characteristics such as accent, body language and dress style can all be socially acceptable ways of discriminating against people who “wouldn’t fit in”. After all, class and education are not characteristics that are protected by the Equality Act.

 

Businesses can ensure that their recruitment is open to a broad range of candidates by removing unnecessary barriers, such as requiring specific academic qualifications that might exclude talented candidates from working-class backgrounds. Most businesses want people who can do things rather than just think about them: so it makes sense to focus on skills, experience and potential rather than formal education credentials.

 

Another strategy is to prioritise internal promotions over external hires: this can give working-class employees, who may be less confident about looking for jobs in a different organisation, a better opportunity to advance within the company.

 

Inclusive recruitment is central to the generation of diverse thinking, something that is accepted by most organisation as being very important. The experiences and some of the values of working-class people may be different from managers from a Russell Group elite, but they are just as valid and just as likely to stimulate creativity and problem solving.

 

Career curation

 

Not all employees are confident in their abilities, and some may feel that they are out of place in an organisation. Mentoring can provide working-class employees with guidance, support and career development advice, as well as helping them navigate the workplace socially – something that may be just as important for their career progression. And especially for new employees, a buddy system where employees support each other’s growth and share experiences and advice can be very empowering.

 

Establishing employee resource groups for different demographic groups, including those from working-class backgrounds, is another way of providing a support network and a platform for voicing concerns and ideas.

 

Acknowledgment of skills and successes is also important, and employers should take time to recognise these. Whether it’s problem-solving, teamwork or technical abilities, acknowledging these contributions to the success of the organisation is important and can help employees without formal qualifications feel valued and confident.

 

Giving employees autonomy in their roles is also effective as a way of supporting work quality. Allowing employees to take ownership of their work and trusting them to manage their tasks independently shows confidence in their abilities, which can in turn boost their self-assurance. Of course this approach will only work in a culture where people are encouraged to think for themselves and where they are not blamed for getting it wrong on occasion.

 

Another useful tactic to develop careers is to encourage employees to take on leadership roles, even in small projects or team activities: this can help people who may not have seen themselves as business leaders (but who may well have been extremely successful leaders and influencers at school!) develop leadership skills and gain confidence in their ability to manage responsibilities.

 

The key to productivity

 

The UK is in the middle of a productivity crisis. There are many reasons for this. But one factor is the failure of UK organisations to make the most of the abilities of all of our citizens, whatever their background and education.

 

Governments of all colours have proved themselves incapable of doing more than uttering platitudes. One thing they could do perhaps would be to make class a protected characteristic under equality laws. But in the absence of that, it will be up to business to correct this failure by grasping, nurturing and exploiting talent wherever it may lie.