The UK’s talent pipeline remains deeply constricted. That's true in work: for example, the Social Mobility Commission reported in 2022 that getting in and getting on in employment still remains closely linked to your parents’ occupation (you are still 60% more likely to be in a professional job if you were from a privileged background rather than a working-class background). It's also true in civic life: reporting on ethnic diversity in politics and public life the House of Commons Library (Nov 2021) noted that “the proportion of people from an ethnic minority background has risen in recent years, and so has the representation of ethnic minorities in political and public positions. It's true in the environmental sector too, with research from Students Organising for Sustainability finding that ‘environment professionals’ are one of the least racially diverse professions in the UK, with just 4.8% identifying as Black, Asian or from other minority ethnic groups" (compared to 12.6% across all UK professions).
UpRising plays an important part in tackling that issue. We work with young people from underrepresented and underserved communities from across England and Wales to support and empower them to develop their leadership skills. OIur programmes provide emerging young leaders with new opportunities and networks which put them on a more equal footing with more privileged peers.
Commenting on his appointment as CEO in March 2020, Marc said
"There’s never been a more important time for local and national conversations to draw on the full diversity of talent in our country. As a national youth leadership organisation, UpRising’s mission - to open up pathways to leadership for young people from every background, equipping them with the tools they need to flourish - has never been more relevant. I'm excited to join an organisation that's already had such an impact on the lives and communities of thousands of young people over the past decade and look forward to working with the UpRising team to support and serve even more over the next decade.”
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