Stay Local, Go Far – Reflections on social mobility from an anchor institution
Stay Local, Go Far. A rallying cry for the regions and “left behind” places. A counter narrative to Leave to Achieve whereby moving up is synonymous with moving away. How will we ever ‘level up’ if we fail to provide real opportunities where people are; opportunities that allow communities to prosper and, if they so choose, remain and thrive? The promise of Stay Local, Go Far is to make social mobility a reality for those too often denied opportunities in their own localities, simultaneously building strong communities by retaining talent in the regions and driving inclusive growth.
As anchor institutions, large organisations have a significant stake in their local area, universities and colleges clearly have a key role to play in making this a reality. The relationship between education and social mobility is a complex one.
There is a well-established narrative that education is an unassailable pillar of social mobility: a pivotal experience that allows us to achieve our potential and opens pathways from community, family and social class origins onto new cultural, economic and geographic destinations. This narrative is predicated on the belief of meritocracy. Meritocracy assumes we get ahead because of our own achievements; achievements based on skills, aptitudes and merit. This is in turn predicated on the belief that creating ‘equality of opportunity’ allows those from all backgrounds and locations to demonstrate their aptitudes and achieve their potential in a meritocratic way. Unfortunately, providing equality of opportunity is not the same as ensuring equity.
The expansion of higher education over the past thirty years has embodied an approach based upon equality and meritocracy. Through widening access and participation, universities have sought to recruit from low participation neighbourhoods and first-generation families. The expansion of institutions such as my own, Teesside University, is evidence of this. Located at the heart of the Tees Valley, 70% of our students are local and come from areas of multiple deprivation.
Providing equality of access does not ensure equity of outcome, however. Recent Sutton Trust research shows that the less selective London based institutions (e.g., UEL) rank most highly in the UK for social mobility. This is no accident. Place remains hugely significant as a determinant of income and opportunity, both of which are dependent upon the vibrancy of local labour markets and inclusivity of economies. Graduates leaving regional institutions are more likely to remain in that region (often their region of origin) and the impact on access to opportunities is obvious (as they are for returners).
If education is to fulfil its potential as a driver of social mobility, with institutions like Teesside acting as anchors in their regions, and with the message of Stay Local, Go Far replacing Leave to Achieve, urgent attention must be given to levelling up across the UK. This means targeting investment in an equitable way that prioritises communities that have experienced systemic structural disadvantage for decades.
Tackling this requires a two-pronged approach.
The first is what we recognise as traditional economic development with an emphasis upon inclusive growth. Regions need a labour market that provides destination for those who have chosen to study locally and intend to remain, both within and without the public sector, and retains talent that might otherwise have migrated away. Social mobility must not be predicated upon Leave to Achieve. Making levelling up a reality becomes an imperative.
The second must focus upon the foundational economy: the things that are there because people are there, the drivers of human welfare and the basis of citizenship such as schools, healthcare and secure access to food, put most simply, the infrastructure of everyday life. A joined-up, inclusive approach to regional investment is required that addresses the problems faced by communities at a foundational level and recognises the interrelationships between education, health and work. Place is paramount – and places must be both well-resourced and appealing to prevent outward migration of young people.
Access to education can provide equality of opportunity and ultimately deliver social mobility. Dedication to investment and structural change is needed to deliver equity of outcome. A real commitment to levelling up is key. Perhaps then our communities can Stay Local, Go Far.
Paul Crawshaw is Professor of Social Policy and founding Director of the Institute for Social Innovation at Teesside University, Middlesbrough.
