Time for Change: Addressing Social Mobility in Sheffield's Young people

18th June 2025

A recent report revealed that Social Mobility in Sheffield is amongst the lowest in the country. We need your help to change that.

The Problem

The survey, produced by the Sutton Trust, revealed that young people in Yorkshire and the Humber are half as likely to be counted in the top 20 of earners by the time they’re 28 than their peers in London. For students who have received free school meals the disparity is even greater – 7 will earn big money in Yorkshire and Humber versus 30 in London. 

The report goes further, breaking the statistics down to each of the 543 constituencies in England. And it is here, in the details, that we find the reality for our young people. In the constituency where Longley Park Sixth Form is located (Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough):

  • 53 of young people receive Free School Meals 
  • Only 16 of these will pass English and maths in school
  • And only 13 will go on to complete a degree

Just 5.2 will go on to earn in the top 20 and only 8 will leave the region by the time they are 28. The numbers for other Sheffield seats are equally or even more striking. It seems that living in Sheffield, particularly its most deprived areas, damns young people to a life of low pay and unreachable opportunity. 

But statistics paint only half the picture. They are historical observations, drawn from data points of all the lives that have lived before. They cannot describe the ‘right now’ or the future that is being built by forward thinking educators, authorities and employers across the city. 

Why it Matters

At Longley Park we understand that we cannot change the past. Instead, we seek to build upon the foundations that young people bring with them, raising them up from the moment they join us to the moment they leave, giving them the skills, knowledge and experiences they need to be better prepared for work or future study when they leave us than when first they walked through our doors. 

We are not alone in doing this. And we cannot do it alone. Many reading this will be aware of Sheffield’s City Council’s See It Be it initiative; some of you may have even given up your time to support it. I thank you for your service. SiBi’s aim is simple when written in words: “to bring to life the world of work for young people in Sheffield and help to raise aspirations and improve their life chances.”  But it is much harder to affect those words into meaningful change. 

It takes time, effort and commitment from schools and colleges like mine, but even more so from employers and businesses like you to provide meaningful encounters and experiences of the workplace. 

It’s hard. But it’s worth it. An often quoted statistic is that young people who have 4 or more meaningful encounters with employers are 86 less likely to be NEET (not in education or training) than those with none. The same report identified an early career salary boost of 16 between the ages of 19-24. Dr Anthony Mann, co-author of the research, said that to achieve these results: “The evidence shows that students need at least four interactions with employers, in a variety of activities… The typical young British adult recalls only 1.6 activities. That is not enough.”

But it goes further than that. At Longley we strive to instil a model of work readiness. And work experience can help with all four points of the compass. 

  • Work is not like college; working with real customers, in real teams helps to develop skills for the real world
  •  Doing things for the first time, feeling comfortable doing new things, helps build confidence: the belief that they can learn new things again in the future
  • Working with people - in teams, with customers, competitors and suppliers - allows students to establish their professional identities and start building their professional networks.
  • And because work is different to the classroom, is a place of using and applying knowledge, it links to the education we give them, allowing them see the practical uses of everything we instil in them in the classroom. 

We believe this model is good for you too. We want to produce students ready to work; students that are familiar with the norms of the workplace and keen to contribute to it. 

How you Can Help

Our promise to every new student is the same as our stated aim: To demystify the workplace through regular and sustained exposure to the world of work. And for that we need to work with you. We’re inviting you to partner with us—to offer placements, run real-world projects, advise us on the skills you need, and help shape the future workforce. 

If you’re ready to make a difference, contact us: careers@longleypark.ac.uk.