Introducing PMW’s
social mobility programme
We’re pretty astute when it comes to spotting marketing talent, and we think we’ve got the dream team right here at PMW, but we’re also keen to encourage future marketing maestros.
We know from experience that real talent isn’t always found in obvious places. Our company policy on diversity and inclusion is comprehensive but we wanted to go further, which is why we’ve set up our Social Mobility Programme to give people from disadvantaged backgrounds access to a career in marketing and offer them the support and mentoring they need to get there.
Addressing
the challenges
Research has shown that those from disadvantaged backgrounds face numerous challenges when it comes to accessing employment. These include:
- Higher rates of youth unemployment
- Higher rates of exclusion from school
- Greater likelihood of being on an insecure contract or unemployed long term
- Less likely to be well informed of career paths open to them
- Being behind in their learning by 18 months by the time they finish GCSEs
- Little to no access to impenetrable sectors, such as technology
What can be done?
Requirements to support individuals include:
- Bespoke support to counter challenges – for example, flexible work experience programmes, mentoring and help with interview techniques
- Access to travel, including addressing financial barriers to pay for basic things such as bus fares
- Access to basic necessities, including work clothes and childcare
- Access to the internet – currently, 1.5 million households in the UK do not have access to the internet
- Mental health support
Creating Careers for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Work experience and career development workshops
More than a quarter of state-funded pupils were recorded as disadvantaged at the end of 2021 and, as of January 2023, around 1.6 million pupils in England (17% of pupils) were identified as SEND.
SEND covers a wide range of needs, which include:
- Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
- Speech, language and communication
- Hearing impairment
- Visual impairment
- Multi-sensory impairment
- Physical disability
- ASD and ADHD
We know that the traditional work experience set-up can present huge challenges for SEND individuals – not only in terms of applying for opportunities, but also as a hugely daunting prospect overall.
With this in mind, we have created a fully flexible work experience programme to support those with SEND and from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as low-income families and ethnic minorities, to access work experience and find out more about the diverse opportunities available to them in the marketing industry.
Working closely with SEND coordinators at local secondary and specialist schools, including Muntham House, we identify suitable candidates and provide bespoke work experience programmes for SEND registered pupils and those identified as disadvantaged, which are tailored to individual needs and requirements.
Run twice a year for one week in May and July and on ad hoc days throughout the year with pre-agreement with the schools, we welcome pupils from year 10 and year 11 who are interested in media, design, art, technology, coding and content creation to immerse themselves in all things marketing.
Interview techniques and CV workshops
During our specialist workshops, SEND pupils get the chance to learn how to prepare their CV for a role in marketing, including portfolio creation, and what to expect when attending an interview in an office setting.
Working in small groups of 2-3 individuals, our morning sessions are run during term time twice a year.
We are also taking PMW out on the road to careers fairs to spread the word about working in marketing.
Prison leavers - outreach, mentoring and awareness
We think everyone deserves a second chance, but it’s not always easy to start again.
Research has shown that prison leavers are more likely to reoffend if they have nowhere to live, no job or income, and have poor healthcare. Unfortunately, prison leavers face many challenges and reintegrating back into the outside world comes with its own specific difficulties, including finding employment and dealing with societal stigma.
This is why we are working with HMP Ford in West Sussex to provide support for prisoners preparing to leave custody and offering them opportunities to learn about the variety of marketing disciplines available.
What we are doing to help?
Mentoring support
Working with HMP Ford and the criminal justice charity, Sussex Pathways, we offer mentoring support to serving prisoners and prison leavers to help them secure job opportunities and manage the challenges involved with integrating back into society.
Alongside this, we are raising awareness of the difficulties prison leavers face accessing employment by educating our staff about the challenges prison leavers encounter and debunking common misconceptions.
If you’d like to get involved in any way, or if you know of someone who might benefit, please contact us.
