Academics give evidence to social mobility inquiry

The House of Lords Social Mobility Policy Committee continues its inquiry on Thursday 20 March by hearing from academics about the strategies universities implement to promote social mobility and academic research undertaken on social mobility.

The session begins at 10.05am and can be watched live or afterwards on Parliament TV.

Giving evidence at 10.05am on universities as engines of social mobility will be:

• Professor Liz Mossop, Vice Chancellor, Sheffield Hallam University; 
• Professor Kathryn Mitchell, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Derby; 
• Professor Graeme Atherton, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Regional Engagement, University of West London.

Members are expected to ask questions on:

• problems and solutions for improving social mobility in their region;
• evaluating the impact of institutional initiatives to improve social mobility;
• the role of Higher Education to promote social mobility;
• how central Government and educational organisations work together to enhance social mobility.

Giving evidence at 10.50am on research in the field of social mobility will be:

• Professor Anna Mountford-Zimdars, Centre for Social Mobility, The University of Exeter; 
• Professor Stephen Machin, Professor of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE);
• Dr Louise Ashley, Associate Professor and Fellow, Queen Mary University of London.

Members are expected to ask questions on:

• measuring social mobility and data sources;
• geography and place-based approaches to improving access to educational and job opportunities;
• the barriers to social mobility faced by those not in education, employment or training (NEETs);
• the effectiveness of employer initiatives in reducing barriers to social mobility.