Businesses urged to hire apprentices from tough backgrounds

Struggle: Bola Lawal was rejected
Matt Watts27 June 2017

A City broker turned charity founder today called on more businesses to offer apprenticeships to disadvantaged young people — saying some were “frightened” to take on those from tough backgrounds.

David Pinchin, the chairman of social mobility charity Leadership Through Sport & Business, said more businesses should offer chances to people who have had difficult upbringings.

Mr Pinchin, who until 2009 ran Tradition Financial Services, one of the world’s largest interdealer brokers, said some companies were exploiting “loopholes” in the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy scheme to “rebrand” existing employees as apprentices.

Instead they should help transform the lives of young people from poorer backgrounds and their communities through work opportunities, he said.

'Give people a chance'

A woman who now works at a leading bank fears she was judged on her background when she was younger as companies turned down her offer of free work.

Bola Lawal, 22, who grew up in Kennington, said she had the grades to go to university but didn’t  want to be saddled with debt. She moved out of London with her mother and sister because they couldn’t afford to live there and, despite going to “one of the worst schools in Essex”, got good A-levels. 

When she tried to get experience in accountancy, however, no one would give her a chance. “I don’t know exactly what companies were thinking but I just wasn’t getting any responses,” she said. “It could be people have already judged you.” 

She got an apprenticeship through Leadership Through Sport & Business and has been named one of its apprentices of the year. Initially placed with Berg Kaprow Lewis LLP in Finchley, she now works as a group reporting accountant at Santander UK’s head office in Euston. She said more big businesses should sign up to the scheme. “There’s a lot of good people out there who don’t get the opportunities,” she said. “They need to be given a chance.”

“Sometimes companies might see it as a risk or something to be frightened of. But that’s until they meet the young people whose ability and ambition is so inspiring,” said Mr Pinchin, the charity’s chairman of trustees.

He has put more than £500,000 of his own money into its growth since he launched it in 2011.

“They are bright young people who just have not had the same opportunities as others or can’t afford to go to university.

"The great thing is that when we are able to launch a young person’s career with a blue chip company this doesn’t just transform their life.

“The effect extends to their family and often then to the local community. The impact can be geometric.

“It’s also good for the business who can diversify their workforce and get a brilliant employee.”

Leadership Through Sport & Business helps young people learn skills on sports programmes at leading football clubs including West Ham, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Its scheme consists of a four-month pre-apprenticeship training programme and a year paid placement with major firms in the financial sector. Some 60 blue chip companies are signed up for its apprenticeship scheme, including Deloitte and EY.

The charity is looking for more companies to sign up to offer apprenticeships.

It also wants financial support from the private sector to expand and help hundreds more young people each year. Employers who have seen the benefits are also encouraging others to join the scheme.

Lyn Rutherford, director of human resources at Carpetright, which works with the charity, said: “Think about return on investment and creating a pipeline of talent.

“The biggest benefit is that someone has done all the hard work for you in finding, training and preparing the young person for work.”

For more information visit leadershipthroughsport.org

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