Member Article

Entry to professions must be widened say FSP

The Financial Skills Partnership has responded to a “pressing need” to diversify the industry by launching a free online careers site for young people to gain an insight into the industry.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s social mobility adviser Alan Milburn recently released a report saying that more should be done to open professions to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Under the current regime, too many employers were found to recruit from a narrow range of universities and regions.

The new Directions website hopes to address these issues by providing information on opportunities in the sector, including work experience placements, apprenticeships and school and college programmes. It also includes a number of outreach activities where employers cab talk about work in the sector to inspire young people.

Liz Field, CEO of the Financial Skills Partnership, said, “It certainly is true that a lot of progress has to be made. As well as achieving the wider goal of increased social mobility, and helping to reduce youth unemployment, industry sectors such as financial services will also improve the level of service they provide to their customers if they recruit from a wider range of young people.

It is hoped that by providing young people with information on the sector from an early age they will be inspired to consider it as a career.

Liz continued: “The finance industry has already begun to respond to the pressing need to diversify the industry’s recruitment channels.

“However, the key to creating significant change is tackling the misconception that finance is an elitist sector.

“The introduction of the Directions portal has meant that young people from all backgrounds have access to hands-on working opportunities that will open doors for developing their careers.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .