The Social Mobility Foundation has this week launched its annual Aspiring Professionals Programme (APP) with an opening event at Leeds law firm, Shulmans LLP.
The launch is the first event in the Social Mobility Foundation’s (SMF’s) Aspiring Professionals Programme which is designed to combat the issues of people moving within the social strata with a dedicated programme in the West Yorkshire region.
The launch at Shulmans welcomed the SMF’s largest cohort of students from West Yorkshire to date, with over 100 young people signed up to the programme. Students learnt about the opportunities available to them such as business leader mentoring schemes and work placement programmes in the region, and received information on university application support, skills sessions and careers workshops.
The SMF’s national rollout marks the largest cohort to date of over 1,500 students, with further city launches to be hosted in Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle.
Isobel Plant, the SMF’s Regional Development Manager, said: “It was a fantastic launch in Leeds and it was wonderful to welcome so many students from the West Yorkshire region. We’d also like to extend our thanks to the many businesses that have supported the Aspiring Professionals Programme, including Shulmans who hosted this event.”
Tim Halstead, Managing Partner of Shulmans added: “We were delighted to welcome the SMF to Shulmans for the West Yorkshire cohort launch. Social mobility is vitally important in ensuring talent from all backgrounds is nurtured and realised, which in turn drives the economy for future generations. We’re very proud to play a part in the great work that the foundation is undertaking and we are looking forward to working with them more on this excellent programme.”
