Government's social mobility strategy has 'huge cultural barriers' to breach says social entrepreneur
Social entrepreneurs have welcomed yesterday’s launch from the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg of the Government’s social mobility strategy but warned that if it was to be effective many tiers of social prejudice would have to be wiped away.
“There are huge cultural barriers which will have to be overcome, many of which are deeply ingrained in British society,” said social entrepreneur Robert Ashton, who is also the author of the best selling business guide How to be a Social Entrepreneur.
Mr Clegg told the House of Commons yesterday that the coalition had an ‘overriding mission’ to make society fairer. He said that he would end the culture by which opportunities were dependent upon ‘who you know’.
Mr Ashton, who recently took part in a House of Commons debate to celebrate 20 years of the Big Issue Magazine, said he had encountered an example of deeply engrained social barriers even when he was addressing MP’s and other invited guests at the event.
“We were discussing how to enable homeless people to move up the ladder and someone suggested that unemployed Oxbridge graduates should be encouraged to mentor and help them,” said Mr Ashton.
“My response was to say that both the Oxbridge graduates and the homeless people are benefits claimants. One group have academic knowledge and the other is streetwise. Together, creating joint ventures, they could be powerfully successful.
“In other words – even at an event to celebrate successful enterprises created by homeless people – after hearing from successful once homeless entrepreneurs, some people STILL don’t understand that the Big Society has to be all inclusive!” he said.
Mr Clegg’s social mobility strategy has met with criticism from many quarters, not least because he was the recipient of an internship at a merchant bank secured by his father and the LibDem Party are currently advertising for unpaid interns.
The Conservative Party has also been caught out auctioning off internships - constantly-criticised for only being available to well-connected - at a Conservative party fundraiser.