FUTURE TALENTED Summer Term 2019 - Issue 3 | Page 12

Gatsby Benchmarks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Helping white working-class boys to flourish Every young person has something to offer society but how can schools and business work together to unlock the potential of those from disadvantaged backgrounds? asks Sarah Wild B eing a white male in the UK is rarely considered a disadvantage. However, research shows that white working-class boys are the most under-represented group in higher education, have the lowest GCSE results, and are more likely than most other social groups to end up in low-paid and insecure jobs after leaving education. T h e s e s t a r k f a c t s w e re brought to life in 2018’s art-house documentary H is for Harry, a tale of intergenerational poverty and ingrained illiteracy, featuring a charismatic 11-year-old boy who starts secondary school in south London unable to read or write. T h e y a l s o s p u r re d t h e development of a pioneering initiative – ‘to create meaningful change through employability intervention’ – by Barclays, in collaboration with education charity The Transformation Trust, as part of the bank’s LifeSkills programme. The results have been impressive, generating a blueprint for other organisations to use. “Everyone has something they’re amazing at; they just have to find out what it is,” says Transformation Trust CEO Amy Leonard. “But students from tougher backgrounds won’t necessarily have the full range of opportunities, and won’t find it as 12 // EMPLOYABILITY