NICEC Seminar: Social class - a ramp and a barrier to career aspirations, decision making & pathways

Social class - a ramp and a barrier to career aspirations, decision making and pathways

Tuesday 20th January 5pm 

Social class often remains overlooked in discussions and interventions aimed at improving diversity, equality and inclusion. Despite shaping lives and opportunities in profound ways social class remains hard to define, measure and discuss for both individuals and organisations. We know that social class shapes individual’s career decisions and outcomes in several ways, whether through influencing ideas around what is possible or desirable, shaping access to social and cultural capital that make some careers easier to pursue than others, or setting hard financial limits on available career pathways. Career services have a key role to play in levelling this playing field and providing equal access to career knowledge, opportunities and aspirations regardless of background.

 
In this NICEC workshop researchers from the Institute for Employment Studies Dr Kyla Ellis and Kate Alexander will share findings from research exploring the role of social class in career decision making, using the construction sector as a case study. Drawing on a review of the literature and qualitative interviews with expert stakeholders, and new and prospective construction workers they will present findings on how social class can act as a ‘ramp or barrier’ to certain careers, and how career services and employers can support people from a variety of backgrounds to find and enter fulfilling careers. The workshop will be interactive, giving practitioners the opportunity to reflect on the research and share their own knowledge and experience of social class and career advice and guidance.