Read: Recognising those committed to levelling up

As society’s expectations of organisations have widened, so too has the role they can play in boosting opportunity and helping to level up the UK. There are some great examples of organisations committing to social mobility and becoming truly purpose-led and it is important to recognise them. 

The 2021 Levelling Up Purpose Index identifies which organisations are going the furthest and having a real impact on the key challenges facing the UK and championing the ‘Levelling Up Goals’.

Former Education Secretary, Rt Hon Justine Greening, launched the Levelling Up Goals to focus efforts on driving equality of opportunity at key life stages. The 14 Goals are a common architecture for levelling up Britain that brings together policy makers, business and education. 

Some of the Goals are about preventing gaps opening up between privileged and less privileged children in early years and school years. Others are around getting good advice and experiences to develop people, and making sure that opportunities are open to all and that progression within careers is fair. Other Levelling Up Goals are around the parts of lives that either help or hinder the path forward - for example good housing, health and access to the online world. For the first time, the Goals set out those challenges as a whole.

The Index positively recognises commitments at all levels - it lists the organisations who have made a public commitment to levelling up and social mobility. Their award ranking indicates the level of commitment they have made with us to the agenda. 

Any organisation committed to supporting social mobility and opportunity can sign the Social Mobility Pledge. The Social Mobility Pledge is the largest social mobility campaign in the UK with 600 organisations, covering seven million of their employees and students, already having signed it.

Organisations committed to the three elements of the Social Mobility Pledge - outreach, access and recruitment - are given a Silver Award on the Index. There is no cost and Silver members will be listed on the Index as well as being a signatory on the Social Mobility Pledge website.

Gold Award organisations have in place a Levelling Up Statement or Opportunity Action Plan. By having a Levelling Up Statement in place, organisations demonstrate a commitment to going further faster and are recognised as Gold Award employers. 

The Platinum Award is reserved for those organisations who are not just committed to the levelling up agenda, but who we are recognising for working with us to drive and shape the agenda. Platinum Award organisations have already completed the requirements of Silver and Gold and are now contributing to shaping and advocating for the Levelling Up Goals.

These organisations are represented by the UK’s most committed purpose leaders; they are developing the measurements and indicators, advocating for the Goals and shaping the wider agenda on how organisations can deliver on their purpose by maximising their positive impact to drive levelling up across the UK.

The Levelling Up Purpose Index demonstrates to customers, clients, colleagues and communities an organisation’s commitment to putting levelling up at the heart of their purpose. A lot of organisations are doing incredible work in this sector and the Index is making sure they are recognised. 

For more information visit www.levelupthegoals.org