Growing up in a low-income household can mean a young person has fewer opportunities to get ahead and prepare for the world of work.

But these young people often outperform their peers. They are entrepreneurial, intelligent, resilient, creative...

Can you afford to miss out on what they bring?

Access their skills
One young person listening to music on a walk, one young person knocking on the door to a flat with a bucket by their feet

The numbers behind the story:

There are clear benefits of building a more diverse workforce. A recent Co-op and Demos report, The Opportunity Effect identified many of the business benefits of working with young people from a low-income background, which include:

  • A £19bn increase in GDP if all businesses invested significantly in the promotion of social mobility, boosting profits by over £1.8bn a year
  • 76% of senior business leaders believe social mobility would help attract and retain staff
  • Business leaders that do more to tackle social mobility are more likely to see higher levels of growth

To unlock the potential of young people from a low-income background, the EY Foundation connects both sides of the labour market. This benefits both young people and employers. By accessing this untapped pool of talent, employers will reap the benefits for their organisation, their staff, and their local community.

Employers: access their skills
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The story behind the film:

 

Rather than being defined by the challenges these young people can face, we know they have huge potential waiting to be unlocked. We wanted to tell a story in the voice of young people from low-income backgrounds up and down the country. Backgrounds that 100% make them who they are.

 

We hope it encourages even more employers to see their incredible potential. We’re thrilled that young people who have taken part in our programmes helped to shape the film and even star in it.

Watch the film
Young man stares at camera with a smile

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The EY Foundation is a charitable company registered in England and Wales and Scotland with registered charity number 1157154 and SC045076. It is also a member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited