Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to prevent embedded elitism within the professions and higher-paying careers from restricting access to such careers for working-class students.

Improving social mobility requires support from all parts of society: government, employers and civic organisations. The Secretary of State recently spoke at the launch of the Social Mobility Employers Index. The Index highlights how employers, including government, are taking steps to ensure talented people from all works of life can access good jobs. I strongly encourage employers to sign up to the Index next year.

We are also taking further specific action. In the Industrial Strategy we set out that we are reviewing the current careers offer for people of all ages. We will build on the best international evidence to publish a comprehensive careers strategy later this year.

The Careers & Enterprise Company will also ensure every secondary school in an Opportunity Area has an Enterprise Adviser, and will provide, for every young person, four encounters with the world of work. This support will focus the whole education community in areas of the country where social mobility is lowest.