Harnessing the power of business to drive lasting change

Claire Warnes, Head of Education, Skills and Productivity for KPMG in the UK, explains how the company has been at the forefront of convening businesses to tackle social mobility.

At KPMG, we’re privileged to work extensively with education providers and policy makers as clients. We place great value on working in partnership with these education clients, with key charities like National Literacy Trust and with other businesses on all aspects of social mobility in the UK.

I have been involved in working with the education sector for over 20 years and although much media attention focuses on the HE, FE and schools’ sectors, I’m pleased to see an increasing focus on early years learning. I’ve been energised by the discussion about the role of business in this, especially at the recent Home Learning Environment Summit which we hosted along with the National Literacy Trust.

As a large professional services firm we are a major employer in every major city in the UK and we work with every sector of the economy. For the last 20 years, we have focused heavily on how we can harness this reach to play our part in convening businesses on social mobility.

We are determined to play a hands-on role in the effort to improve social and economic equality across the UK, because too often where you are born determines your life outcomes. None of us can be content with that. We support communities where business engagement is most needed, tackling the geography of disadvantage in social mobility cold spots. Last year we supported 17,000 young people to acquire literacy, numeracy and lifelong learning skills.

KPMG has a long and proud history of working with the National Literacy Trust. In 2014 we launched the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge. We wanted to build a coalition of businesses from all sectors to increase literacy levels in the UK.

Now, four years on, we have 63 businesses standing shoulder to shoulder with us to make this a reality. Businesses can use their products, their expertise and their networks to give children the opportunity and support they need.

Through the Pledge, Boots Opticians, for example, has ensured that 5,000 more children have had eye tests, to enjoy healthy, happy reading. McDonald’s has helped give even more children the joy of reading, by giving away 60 million books. These examples show that improving literacy isn’t just an educational challenge that lies at the door of government or local authorities.

At KPMG, we know the social challenge is as great as ever, and we know that children who fall behind, too often stay behind. Each action we take makes a real difference to individual lives, the success of our organisations and of our communities and wider society.

We want all children starting school to have the literacy and communication skills they need to succeed. By focusing on the early years, we are investing in a diverse pipeline of skilled young people coming into the workforce in the years to come.