Social Mobility

If you're worried about the financial challenges of placements or internships, your University of Cumbria Student Services Money Advice Team might be able help you find bursaries, scholarships, or other funding options. Additional support also comes from initiatives that automatically consider contextual data during admissions and recruitment an effort led by institutions like UCAS to close opportunity gaps. 

Several organizations have introduced programmes specifically to support those from non-traditional backgrounds, including: 

• Aspiring Solicitors: Assists candidates in securing training contracts in law, no matter their background. 

• Civil Service Summer Diversity Internship Programme: Provides access to internships designed to foster diversity in public service. 

• Creative Access: Opens doors for under-represented talent in the creative industries. 

• Penguin Random House Initiative: Offers a paid six-month traineeship to elevate voices that are often overlooked in publishing. 

• Screen Skills’ Film Forward: Targets the under-representation in the UK film industry with specialised work experience schemes. 

The Sutton Trust champions social mobility through programmes, research and policy influence. 

The Social Mobility Foundation offer tailored advice and schemes running an Aspiring Professionals Programme across multiple career sectors. Recent initiatives by the Social Mobility Policy Committee are also working on better integration between education and workplace opportunities, ensuring that support keeps pace with changing career landscapes.