Ask most university leaders if they are committed to social mobility, and they will talk enthusiastically about their widening access work.
They will explain all that they do to help students from less advantaged backgrounds to secure places in their institutions, and to support them once they are there.
Indeed, the government’s widening access regime means that literally hundreds of millions of pounds are spent on this work every year.
But there is a second dimension to universities’ social mobility responsibilities that gets rather less attention. Universities are not just educators – they are also major employers.
As many as 223,000 jobs are generated by higher education in London. And the approach they take to hiring and career development – in particular, the extent to which they are open to hiring recruits without degrees – can be an important engine of social mobility.
